PROVIN êJA FRAN ĀISKANA TA’ SAN PAWL APPOSTLU, MALTA. No. 129 1.12.2007
L-isba ħ xewqat ta’ Milied hieni u qaddis u s-Sena 2008 tkun ta’ pa ëi u āid!
Visitator General in Malta
Austin McCormack OFM, Visitator General to the Maltese Franciscan Province, recently was on his first official visit in Malta since his appointment to the post of Visitator and President of the upcoming Provincial Chapter. The aim of the visit was that of paving the way for the Chapter and preparing an agenda for its proceedings. Fr. Austin had various meetings with the Minister Provincial and the Definitors. During his visit Fr. Austin also presided over the counting of the results of the straw ballot for the election of the new Minister Provincial. From Malta Fr. Austin left for Rome, where he is currently attending the ikompli f’pa āna. 25 L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 1
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Cardinale Betti receives the Cardinal’s hat
Pope Benedict XVI presided over the solemn ceremony of the public Consistory at St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday 24th November 2007. Immediately after the introductory hymn, Pope Benedict XVI read the formula for the creation of 23 new Cardinals, among whom was Brother Umberto Betti, OFM, who, deeply moved and in tears, received the Cardinal’s hat. The “celebrating” continued at the General Curia, where the new Cardinal, accompanied by his fellow Friars from the Province of Tuscany, not only met the government of the Order and the Fraternity of the General Curia but also the many guests present. Among those present were Cardinals: Giovanni Battista Re (Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops), Cláudio Hummes, OFM (Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy), Carlos Amigo Vallejo, OFM (Archbishop of Seville, Spain), and Alexandre José Maria dos Santos, OFM (Archbishop Emeritus of Maputo, Mozambique). Also present were Bishops Nikola Eterovic, General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops and Archbishop Marco Dino Brogi, OFM.
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The Guardian, Br. Robert Bahcic, welcomed all to the Curia and the Minister General, Br. José Rodríguez Carballo, greeted all those present and renewed his best wishes to Cardinal Betti in the name of the whole Order. Cardinal Re, during a brief address, said he had chosen to come to this “celebration”, despite the fact that he had other invitations, because he wanted to thank Cardinal Betti publicly for his precious contribution to the Second Vatican Council and also for his long and generous service to the Church. Each of the 23 new Cardinals, among them Cardinal Betti, received the Cardinal’s ring from Pope Benedict XVI on Monday 26th November 2007.
SALUTO AL CARDINAL UMBERTO BETTI, OFM Fr. José Rodríguez Carballo, ofm Ministro generale
Eminenza Reverendissima, la Fraternità della Curia generalizia L'accoglie oggi in festa e dà a Lei, agli Eminentissimi Signori Cardinali Giovanni Battista Re, Cláudio Hummes, Alessandro Do Nascimiento, Carlos Amigo De Vallejo, agli Eccellentissimi Arcivescovi e Vescovi, al Ministro provinciale ed ai Confratelli della Toscana e a tutti gli illustri e graditi Ospiti, il più cordiale "benvenuto"! Ancora una volta la Chiesa, attraverso la sovrana decisione del Papa, onora con la Porpora cardinalizia un Frate minore. Siamo perciò riconoscenti al Santo Padre Benedetto XVI per averLa chiamata a far parte del Sacro Collegio cardinalizio, premiando il lungo, impegnativo e intelligente servizio da Lei reso alla Chiesa, particolarmente nel campo teologico, con il Suo illuminato ed apprezzato insegnamento, con la direzione dell’allora Pontificio Ateneo "Antonianum" oggi Pontificia Università, e successivamente della Pontificia Università Lateranense. La Sua saggezza e la Sua competenza teologica sono consegnate in modo speciale alla storia del Concilio Ecumenico Vaticano II, che si avvalse della Sua preparazione culturale, insieme a quella di altri giovani teologi, tra i quali mi è doveroso ricordare il Sommo Pontefice Benedetto XVI che oggi Le ha conferito l’altissimo segno di distinzione quale è appunto la dignità cardinalizia. Ma anche a Lei, Eminenza carissima, l'Ordine nostro, tramite il suo Ministro Generale, oggi dice la sua ammirazione e il suo plauso, perché ha saputo esprimere appieno, pur nel disbrigo di prestigiosi compiti, il vero volto del Francescano che "in sapientia et doctrina" loda l'Altissimo Signore, fonte di ogni sapienza, e restituisce a Lui, per la sola sua gloria, i doni ricevuti e impiegati per il bene dei fratelli. A nome dell'intero Ordine, a nome dei suoi moltissimi alunni, a nome di quanti hanno attinto dalle sue labbra la ricchezza della divina Sapienza, io Le presento le nostre felicitazioni, il nostro augurio. Le assicuro la nostra preghiera, e formulo l’auspicio che la Porpora con cui oggi l'onora il Santo Padre, sia segno di nuova speranza per l’intero Ordine dei Frati Minori che si appresta a celebrare l’VIII Centenario della sua Fondazione, nel vivo desiderio che i Frati minori siano dovunque e sempre esempio di luce e di fraterna solidarietà. A tutti rinnovo il cordiale ben venuto e auguro una buona continuazione della festa fraterna!
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“Verbum caro factum est” (Jn 1, 14). TO ALL THE FRIARS PEACE AND GOOD Jose’ Rodriguez Carballo, OFM Minister General
In the Holy Night of the Birth of Jesus the poor Crib where God communicated Himself Christ, the beauty of God was lodged in a and became Good News for all; and I humbly stable, the grace of God came to the flesh ask the Most High, Almighty and Good Lord and blood of mankind. The Son of God chose to grant us, together with our joy and the heart of night in order to empty Himself internal recollection, the grace to (Ph 2,7) and what was a sign of sadness and contemplate, in wonder, this mystery of love, death was transformed into a bright to mumble in amazement a prayer of Christmas Eve thanksgiving and to because the Word sing a cry of glory and was made flesh (Jn peace for all who love 1, 14). Silence was the Lord. broken for ever and the Word, 1. “In the beginning descending from the was the Word...” (Jn bosom of the Father 1, 1) (cf. Adm 1, 18), In the holy night began the new song of Christmas, the of the New Wisdom of God became Humanity. our Word of life. The Rejoice, Word, as the brothers, because a collaborator of the Son has been born Father in the work of to us. He is the creation from the promised Messiah, beginning, guided the Lord, from mankind so that they whom we awaited could understand the salvation. Rejoice great mystery of even more, however, salvation. God because the Child educated His children who was born for us over time and always is the Son of God. spoke to them as a Rejoice, you who Friend does to His believe, because friends (cf. Dei Verbum what you were 2) with different waiting for languages and signs so happened that night and His unexpected that mankind may understand that God is arrival multiplied the joy: God became one of the God with us... Immanuel (cf. Mt 1, 23). many, He wished to dwell in the midst of His In the beginning, God created people, He took on our human condition (cf. everything so that it would speak of Him, for Ph 2, 1-7). This not a night of silence, but of the world was made through Him, in Him all the Word. Such was the communication of things were created (Col 1, 16). At the order God with mankind that this New Man is God of God, through the power of His Word, of God and Light of Light, without ceasing to beings took on existence and became reality, be a true man. even to becoming human beings, the crown In this holy night, in unity with all of creation. The work of creation having been mankind and with all the poor of the earth, I completed, mankind was prepared to read wish to approach, with respect and the message left by the Creator in creatures, reverence, the mystery of Bethlehem, that as in a book.
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However, God also spoke to us in At this time of grace, let us contem- history, a history of salvation made up of plate His glory and we will see a very human events of grace and experiences of sin, so God who, in the child of Bethlehem, we feel that believers could realise that it was in the invited to be “like God”. And in the life of His people that God had become a contemplation of the divine Word, we will travelling companion to all. He estab-lished learn to listen to the multiple words of a Covenant with mankind, a word given in humanity (cf. The flavour of the Word, p.5), the form of a pact, in which God guaranteed for God also speaks to us today in humanity. his help and company. And when the people Indeed, God speaks especially in the poor, in forgot their covenant with their God, the weakened and needy humanity, in those voice of the prophets, the echo of the divine who suffer, in the disfigured faces of all voice, would call for fidelity to God the lepers, for the Son of God not only wished to Creator, to the God of history: Come back to become man among men, but made Himself me with all your heart... out of you will be poor among the poor, weak and needy, the born for me the one who is to rule over Israel suffering and disfigured servant. The poverty (Jl2,12 and Mic 5,1). of Christ appears in a marvellous human aspect, it is the sign of His friendship, of His 2. “The Word was made flesh...” (Jn 1, 14) being a relative of humanity. And we Friars In the fullness of time, the whole of are a presence of this God who made creation shook as if in child-birth, for time Himself one with all the poor of the world. and creatures had reached their fullness Given that the Gloryof God is the person and maturity. God made His nest in the who lives (cf. St. Ireneus, Against the womb of the poor Immaculate Virgin Mary in heresies, Book 4, 20,5-7), let us not rest order to give us the Life which engenders all until mankind lives for God and finds life. The Word was life and that life was the meaning and Life in the Word. light of men (Jn 1, 4). And in the silence of things, the Word came to His home, the true 3. “God spoke to us in His Son... light which enlightens all men shone in the the radiant light of God” (Heb 1, 1) darkness of the universe (cf. Jn 1,9) and, in In this night, bright as the day, God the cold of night, God warmed the heart of the Father spoke to us in the “Son”. The all humanity. Word of God, made flesh in the fullness of From that time on, the language of time, is an admirable revelation of divine God had to be that of weakness and poverty, paternity to which it is only possible to of littleness and fragility. From that time on, respond by accepting, in faith, the grace of mankind would only see a defenceless Child filiation in Christ Jesus. The Divine Child of wrapped in swaddling clothes, a crib, some Bethlehem is not just one more among the shepherds who believed beyond prophets or teachers, He is the “Beloved appearances, a star, they would see Mary Son”, the Word made Good News. We can, offering us the Child in her arms, and therefore, understand why God has Joseph, like a new Abraham, protecting the remained silent and has nothing more to say little child; humble faith that contemplates, to us, because He has told us everything at adores, reflects, lives and celebrates; the one and the same time in this Word alone, simple would speak, those of no importance who is the Son (cf. St. John of the Cross, would be exalted to the confusion of the Ascending Mount Carmel, Book 2, chap. 22). important; the everyday would have the God falls silent and speaks to us in the power to humanise the heart of stone, recently born child, God hides Himself and because the Word became flesh and God manifests Himself in the littleness. When it became Gospel. seems that all stays silent, we can, perhaps, In Jesus, God does not speak in listen to the babbling of a Child who speaks images, but through His Son; He no longer to us in the intimacy of life, in the heart. saves through intermediaries, but in a When it seems that all has lost its meaning, person, for Jesus is the only Mediator, the Word of Life can echo with greater personal and tangible presence of the thrice strength, helping us to find the Way and the Holy God. Jesus is someone with whom we Truth. If we seek a word to say, we must can relate, someone to listen to, someone to first listen, persevering in prayer, to the follow, someone to love, for we have heard Word made flesh, to the God made Gospel. and we have seen with our own eyes, we Then the silence will break into a thousand have watched and touched with our hands, pieces, and the sense-less too, and the the Word, who is life (1Jn 1, 1). voices of heaven will sound again, singing
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“Glory to God” (cf. Lk 2, 14), because the Lord who came down from heaven, and the Saviour, the Messiah, the Lord, has been Word made flesh, because He wanted to born for us. share our weak and mortal condition with How important it is, brothers, to us, because you are of Christ and live in approach the careful and prayerful listening Christ. Praise the Lord, because you have to the Word each day! How much strength is known His love. What do we say about God? received from this God who makes Himself Is our life a blessing, a speaking well of God? tangible and human! What a great mystery If mankind wishes to silence God, a the Word is! Let us fix our eyes and life on song of praise will have to be raised to break the Child of Bethlehem alone, on the Word of that silence. If some desire that God should God who came to visit us, and we will find not be adored in this Child of Bethlehem, we there much more than we asked or desired. will have to repeat untiringly that there is no Let us combine our profound gratitude to a one Almighty except God (cf. LtOrd 6-9). The God who loves us in such a human way with Gospel cannot be silent; Jesus, recently born the practice of love which brings us close to in this night, causes a power of faith to pour each other and to share: “Then will your out within us believers and pushes us to live light shine like the dawn and your wound be the Gospel, to gaze on it in our hearts quickly healed” and to announce it in word. (Is 58,8). Conclusion 4. “Talk of Jesus was always on his Dear Brothers, the fullness of time has lips...” (1 Cel 115) come through the birth of the incarnate We well know the particular affection Word. The entire creation has entered into a that our Brother Francis had for this feast of feast, for the First-born of all creatures has the Birth of the Son of God. It was, for him, been born and all things are now made new the “Feast of Feasts, when God was made a in Christ. The voices of mankind, which little child and hung on human received a message from God, have cried out breasts” (2Cel 199). He professed a special on glimpsing this moment of the birth of God taste and affection for the letters of the Holy made man. And if the silence becomes Gospel, which are spirit and life, and for the difficult, God will be born each day in order name of the Child of Bethlehem (cf. 1Cel 86). to invite you, through His Word, to follow The life of our seraphic father was an Him so that your life may enter into the logic Epiphany of the Gospel for the men and of the gift which He has given you. women of his times. Francis was a most I ask you not to sleep this holy night, faithful imitator of Christ, a spirited herald to break the silence about God joyfully and of the great King, impassioned with Jesus of with the capacity to attract others to this whom he spoke to everyone and whom he God who is love, who has loved us very saw in everyone. Francis made himself an much, and who has revealed this love in His evangelical man (cf. 1 Cel 86) and the words Son who was born for us. I ask you to break of the Good News were lived and practised the silence and to give an ardent response of by him, down to the smallest detail. love to Him who has loved us so much. I ask Brothers, what do we say to the world about that our life may always bless the Lord. I ask the Word which was born in the humility of you to cry out, with the people, the songs of our flesh? What do we say about Him, whom our land which speak of the birth of the we love? Word; or to pray with the Church so that it Have you, like Francis, contemplated may never tire of singing the glory of this Christ, born of the Virgin Mary and made night: O wonderful exchange! The Creator of Gospel for the poor, with your own eyes? human nature took on a human body and Then the true light which enlightens was born of the Virgin. He became man life has shone for you; you have received without having a human father and has grace on grace, because you drew close to bestowed on us His divine nature (Solemnity Him who is the fullness of grace. If you have of Mary, Mother of God, Ant. 1 of Evening drawn close to Christ, you have come close Prayer I ) . to the temple of the sanctity of God, and if Let us rejoice and congratulate each you have accepted Him through faith, then other, brothers. I wish you a Happy you also have been born this night with Christmas from my heart and may the Christ, for you have not been born of flesh or blessing of the Seraphic Father accompany blood, but of God (cf. Jn 1, 13-16). Let you, us always. my brother, praise and bless, with me, the
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CANONICAL VISITATION AT THE SERVICE OF THE GROWTH OF THE INDIVIDUALS AND OF THE ENTITIES Meeting of Visitators 2007 José Rodríguez Carballo, ofm Minister General
The Canonical Visitation is regulated by the Code of Canon Law , by our Constitutions and General Statutes , by the Statutes for the Canonical Visitation and Presidency of the Provincial Chapter , as well as by other documents of the Church. It pertains to the Minister to carry out the Canonical Visitation either personally or through Delegates (cf. SSCV 1). During the Canonical Visitation, the Visitator “represents the Minister and acts in his name ( SSCV 8 §1). Even though it may have special legal connotations, the Canonical Visitation must, however, be carried out in the spirit which Francis indicated for visits to the Friars.
The Canonical Visitation in the mind of St. Francis St. Francis considered the visitation of the Friars to be one of his main obligations. When he could no longer visit them because of the “sickness and weakness” of his body ( 2LtF 3), he opted to write letters and send “messengers” to continue serving them and offering them “fragrant words” of his Lord ( 2LtF 2-3). Aware of the importance of such visits and of such service or ministry, he wrote in the First Rule : “Let all the brothers who have been designated the ministers and servants of the other brothers assign their brothers in the Provinces and places where they may be, and let them frequently visit, admonish and encourage them spiritually” ( RnB 4, 2). The same advice is found in the Approved Rule , with other shades of meaning which seem important: “Let the brothers who are the ministers and servants of the others visit and admonish their brothers and humbly and charitably correct them” ( Rb 10, 1). We can, from the context in which these texts are found, take some important
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indications about the time, objectives and way of carrying out the visit to the Friars as Francis wished. Leaving aside the indications of time, for in this case it is made for the elective Chapter, let us look at the objectives and the way in which to carry out the Visitation. The objective of the visitation is dual: we could call one positive and the other negative. Francis expressed this dual objective with the words and expressions “serve and offer the fragrant words of my Lord”, “encourage”, “admonish” and “correct”. It is important to underline that the first objective of the visitation is what we could well call to evangelise the Friars by communicating to them the “words of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Word of the Father, and the words of the Holy Spirit, which are spirit and life ( Jn 6, 64)” ( 2LtF 3). The Visitator, during the Visitation, has constantly to recall the Gospel which the Friars promised to observe faithfully (cf. Rnb 1; Rb 1,1). In addition, the Visitator has to animate , i.e.,: to communicate spirit and life so that the Friars may live according to the spirit (cf. Rnb 5,7) in obedience to the will of the Lord. In other words, the Visitation has to foster growth in the life of the spirit in the Friars and “to urge one and all to progress from the good to the better (cf. GGCC 213)” ( SSCV 3). This is the first service that the Visitator has to give to the Entity visited, keeping in mind the text of Paul (cf. 2Cor 2, 14-15) on which that of Francis is based, the Visitator evangelises the Friars and reveals the presence of Christ in their midst by being, he himself, a good ‘fragrance’ of Christ. The visitation of the Friars is, then, a privileged way to evangelise the Friars and to animate them in the impassioned following of Christ, an aspect that is particularly important at this time when tiredness and resignation have nestled in the hearts of many Friars, but is, at the same time, a propitious moment for the Visitator himself to be evangelised. But given that Francis was very aware of the presence of sin in the fraternity, he could not but point out other objectives of the visitation which seek the conversion of the Friar, and therefore, he spoke of “admonishing” and “correcting (cf. Rnb 10,1)”. The Visitator cannot be indifferent to the sin of the Friar, but must admonish and correct the Friars who have sinned (cf. GGCC 213), remembering that “the care of the Friar’s soul has been entrusted” to him ( Rnb 4,6) during the Visitation. Silence before sin will make him an accomplice in the sin and, as such, culpable of the loss of the Friar. Regarding the way to carry out the Visitation, Francis used very clear expressions. The Visitator has to “admonish” and “correct” (cf. Rnb 10, 1) in humility, without pride or vainglory (cf. Rb 10, 7), without being “disturbed or angered at another’s sin or evil” ( Rnb 5, 7), with familiarity and kindness (cf. Rb 10, 5), and always moved by charity towards and love of the Friar (cf. Adm 11, 2; 25). The Visitator must never forget that, above all, he is a brother, and that the other Friars, though sinners, have to see the merciful face of the Father in him (cf. LtMin 9-12). At the same time, he has to do it “diligently” ( Rnb 5, 5), without sparing effort or time. Tenderness has to be combined with rigour, charity with clarity, during the Visitation.
What is asked of the Visitator
1. Preparing and celebrating the Canonical Visitation For the Canonical Visitation to give the above mentioned fruits and to be lived by the Friars as a real kairos , it has to be prepared and celebrated suitably. Preparing and carrying out the Visitation well by the Visitator implies: Being well informed of the religious and social ambience in which the Friars you must visit live and work. In addition to investigating the present conditions of the life and mission of the Friars, it would be good to know the history of the Province you are to visit, for it could be conditioning the present life and mission of the Friars. This aspect seems to be well taken up by our General Constitutions when it indicates that for the Visitator “it will be his concern to learn the circumstances of the Friars” ( GGCC 213; cf. SSCV 3 §1). Being disposed to dedicate the time necessary to it: “The Visitator, in carrying out L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 8
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his task, is to act with due thoughtfulness, not visiting places too quickly” ( SSCV 14 §1). To fix too short a time for this service could lead the Friars to think that the Visitation is simply a process to be completed. The Friars need to be heard and that requires time. Evaluating the life of the Province and of the Friars . The Statutes for the Canonical Visitation and Presidency of the Provincial Chapter speak of a “careful evaluation” of the government of the Province and of the life of the Friars (cf. SSCV 1). This evaluation, besides being a careful examination, has to be carried out in the light of the process the Order is going through. This requires the Visitator to know the said process and, concretely, the Priorities for the six-year period , (the key for reading how to live our identity and to understand the expectations of the world” ( May the Lord give you peace =LgP 4), as well as the project The Grace of our Origins , which serves us as a guide for the preparation and celebration of the VIII Centenary of the foundation of the Order. Knowing the legislation of the Order well (The Statutes for the Canonical Visitation and presidency of the Provincial Chapter , the General Statutes and, of course, the General Constitutions ) and the Particular Legislation of the Province ( Particular Statutes ). Preparing and carrying out the Visitation on the part of the Province means: Placing itself in an attitude of listening and openness to what the Spirit will say to the Friars through this fraternal and legal mediation; this includes, among other things, praying, individually and in fraternity, for the success of the Visitation. Allowing itself to be questioned by the Visitator who accompanies the Visitation with his exhortations. Entering into a process of growth and, therefore, of conversion in order “not to domesticate the prophetic words of the Gospel in order to adapt them to a comfortable style of life” ( LgP 2). Speaking with sincerity, “according to the truth and with charity”, confidently” (cf. SSCV 25 §1), of both the negative and positive aspects. Overcoming the “I” in order to enter into a dynamic of “we”, passing from the individual project to the fraternal project, and from the provincial project to that of the Order. There should be a climate of freedom in that each one should be able to express what he considers would serve the building of fraternity (cf. SSCV 23). Making available: all the books which are the object of Visitation; information about the Province which could help the Visitator in his task (cf. SSCV 18) and the reports of the provincial offices (cf. SSCV 19).
2. Carrying out the Canonical Visitation, in an attitude of conversion Having placed these presuppositions, the Visitator has, above all, to do everything possible for the Visitation to look towards a renewal of the quality of life of the Friars in the Province, “to foster and strengthen their Franciscan spirit” ( GGCC 199) and “to promote the spirit of fraternity and the observance of our Rule” ( GGCC 213) and General Constitutions in such a way that there may be “a renewed commitment to holiness” ( Vita Consecrata = VC 39a) by assuming the “urgency to be “born again” (Jn 3, 3) on both the personal and institutional levels” ( LgP 2). The quality of life affects the whole person in all his dimensions: personal, fraternal and missionary. Regarding the personal dimension, the quality of life requires walking in authenticity, in transparency, in truth with oneself. Quality of life is incompatible with a “double life” or with the consequences which follow from the “cellophane culture” and superficiality; it demands work on profound levels, on the level of the sentiments, of attitudes, which are, of course, transformed into behaviours. The Visitator cannot be content with “mere external fulfilment”, but must carefully examine to see if this fulfilment is manifested, or not, by attitudes animated by a faith which “involves all we are, our history, body, mind and emotions” and “is the absolute source of our joy and L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 9
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our hope, our discipleship of Jesus Christ and our witness to the world” ( The Lord speaks with us on the Road = LSR 18). The Visitator, starting out from the concrete situation of the Friar, will have to help him to get moving in order to live his obligations as a Friar Minor faithfully and responsibly or not to go backwards in a process already begun. This means that the Visitator cannot be content with examining the work each Friar is doing, but will have to go into the life of the Friar, with respect but without being passive: his living of the commitments received by profession (cf. the life of the vows), his personal and fraternal prayer, his affections, etc. In this way, the Visitation will be a powerful moment of spiritual and vocational accompaniment of the Friar. It is also important, in this context, that the Visitator should discern what is the best place for each Friar. Vocational fulfilment is not in opposition to human development, but rather is one helped by the other. Besides, looking at the quality of life of each Friar involves paying particular attention to his ongoing formation and to the dangers of individualism and activism, into which the Friars can often fall. Regarding the fraternal dimension, the quality of life presupposes, for us Friars Minor, interpersonal relationships based on familiarity (cf. Rb 6,7), equality (cf. GGCC 41), mutual forgiveness (cf. Fraternal Life in Community = FLC 26), respect for and acceptance of diversity (cf. GGCC 40), profound communication (cf. VFC 29-34) and the cultivation of human virtues which characterise a “healthy” relationship with others (cf. GGCC 39; FLC 27). It presupposes placing the fraternities in an attitude of constant discernment (cf. LgP 7) and that the Friars, mendicants of meaning (cf. LSR 6), feel they are in a process, presenting themselves to others through the truth of their seeking, through the truth of their questions. Regarding the evangelising or missionary dimension, the quality of life demands testimony and consistency (cf. GGCC 103), constant seeking of new forms of evangelisation and new presences (cf. VC 12), ongoing and initial formation suitable to the historical situations which we are living (cf. OF and RFF ) and a solid intellectual and pastoral preparation (cf. Ratio Studiorum 28-30). It also requires options of life and mission in harmony with our being minors : “ minors with the minors of this earth ” ( LSR 30), so that nothing can obstruct the epiphany of the other among us (cf. LSR 28), never forgetting that only a satisfied thirst is transformed into a message (cf. LSR 17), which demands profound adhesion to Christ (cf. LSR 25) and an intense prayer life. As can be seen, the quality of life presupposes “leaving the world”, i.e., leaving the mentality of the world in order to commit oneself to the discipleship of Christ, to put down roots in Christ by living the Priorities of the Order , which are nothing more than the priorities expressed in the Rule and the General Constitutions . In other words, the quality of life necessarily presupposes fidelity to what we promised at profession: “To observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience, with nothing of one’s own and in chastity” ( Rb 1,1) in order “to follow the footprints of Jesus Christ more closely” ( GGCC 5 §2). I think it is necessary to insist on this fidelity. A Visitator cannot fold his arms and do nothing in the face of the grave faults against what was promised at Profession, as infringements against the vows or against fraternal life can be. But not only this: A Visitator cannot remain silent in the face of attitudes of mediocrity and, even less still, justify them. We would do good to remember all that the Final Document of the Pentecost 2003 Chapter says to us. “We cannot domesticate [or allow others to do so because of our silence] the prophetic words of the Gospel in order to adapt them to a comfortable style of life” ( LgP 2), to a mediocre life. Rather must we constantly call the Friars to conversion and awaken in them the sense of gospel urgency to convert and believe in the Gospel that we have professed (cf. Mk 1, 15), of beginning afresh from Christ, which, among other requirements, entails “finding one's first love, the inspiring spark that first gave rise to the following” ( SAFC 22c). In this context, I think it is necessary and urgent that the Visitation should make “a renewed reference to the Rule” ( VC 37b) in so far as it is “a journey of discipleship” (John Paul II, Message to the Chapter 2003, 2) and an open and
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incomplete book which is completed “in our fidelity to God and the world” ( LSR 8). In this sense, the Visitation can be the first step that will lead us to the “re- foundation” of the Order, a task that I feel is urgent at the dawn of this third millennium and when we are approaching the VIII Centenary of the foundation of our Order.
Visitation, a moment of grace to construct the local and provincial Fraternity It is frequently heard that our Order is a federation of Provinces, the Province a federation of Houses and the houses a federation of individuals. I do not want, at this moment, to judge the truth or not of this affirmation. But I am convinced that individualism is a fairly frequent disease in the religious life and also in our Order. The Canonical Visitation should have, as one of its prime objectives, the construction of a real local and provincial Fraternity. There should not be either a Fraternity that does not respect the person, or people whose project of life does not respect the fundamental option for us of life in Fraternity. The Priorities for this six-year period, in order to achieve a solid construction of the local and provincial Fraternity, forcibly stress the importance of the Fraternal Life Project and the Provincial Life Project as instruments for “going forward” ( pro = forward and iacere = launch), of progressing in the life we have embraced and centring ourselves on the essential elements of our forma vitae (cf. LgP 2). Besides, the Extraordinary General Chapter asks us to take care of fraternal life (cf. LSR 31) by bringing about fraternities where all the Friars really feel they have “the same rights and the same obligations, they are fraternities of equals” (cf. GGCC 3,1; LSR 60); fraternities in which there is “accompaniment and maternal care” ( LSR 32), particularly during the first years after profession (cf. LSR 53) and at the time of aging (cf. LSR 54), sensitive times in which special accompaniment by the Guardians is required; fraternities with a clear sense of belonging to the Province and the Order, overcoming provincialism and particularisms (cf. LSR 57). To do this it is important to support and push inter-provincial initiatives in both formation and evangelisation (cf. LSR 54. 57. 59). It is very necessary to pay attention to communications among the Friars: an unrestricted communication, like the Samaritan woman had with Jesus (cf. LSR 17), a profound communication on the basis of our poverty, which leads to “sharing the joys and difficulties of being Friars” ( LSR 31). It is also necessary that the fraternities – local and provincial – be creative, that they seek and cultivate moments of dialogue in accordance with their culture and particular needs (cf. LSR 11. 32). The methodology of Emmaus is an excellent method for sharing and celebrating life in the light of the Word. The local Chapter also is a suitable instrument for sharing the faith and fraternal life (cf. LSR 31), without forgetting ongoing formation which continues to be another privileged instrument for caring for, constructing and strengthening communion of life in fraternity (cf. LSR 16. 53-57). The Visitator must be very attentive in order to see if an Entity can respond to the demands, both legal and of life, which our legislation points out, in order to discern if it is a case of re-structuring and, in the case of being affirmative, how to bring it about. For the project to achieve this end, it must respond to the charismatic identity (in our case, Franciscan) and to the “needs” of the person that desires to grow within this identity. The project must respond to three fundamental questions: Who am I / are we? Of whom do I/we wish to be and what do I/we wish to be? What does God want of me/us at this concrete moment that we are living as a local and provincial Fraternity? At the heart of the Project lies the will to “begin again always”, to discern in order to “distinguish what comes from the Spirit and what is contrary” ( LgP 7), to progress and to seek, to examine the signs of the times and to interpret them in the light of the Gospel (cf. LgP 6) in order to opt for new paths of creative fidelity (cf. LgP 3). A local or provincial Fraternity that does not have this attitude runs the risk of coming to a halt, of repeating itself, of losing, little by little, the contagious joy of faith. The Visitator has to work in order for the fraternities, local and provincial, to feel that they are L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 11
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mendicants of meaning (cf. LSR 6) at all times. The Fraternal and Provincial Life Projects must also assure some “minima” without which it would not be possible to speak of a Franciscan life. These minima are: • Quality of prayer life (personal and of the fraternity) and of the celebration of our faith, especially of the Eucharist and Reconciliation. • Quality of fraternal life and all that this entails, as we have said previously. • Consistency with our profession as “minors” and with the needs of present-day mankind in the options of the local or provincial Fraternity. • On-going formation, as a path to conversion. The Visitator must carry out a “careful evaluation” of all these elements and make concrete proposals which, in communion with the options of the Order, would have the Friars grow in their sense of charismatic identity and creative fidelity (cf. VC 37). An Entity, local or provincial, which ends the visitation as it had begun it, is the greatest example of a visitation that was badly prepared and ever more badly carried out, it is the optimum example of the lack of life. Everythingcertainly does not depend on the Visitator, but it is also certain that he could do a lot to set the Friars and the lethargic Entities in motion and to accelerate the march of those that have an attitude of listening to the signs of the times (cf. LgP 6) and of giving a gospel response to a world like ours that is “hungry for meaning, just like Francis and Clare did in their time” ( LgP 2).
The Canonical Visitation, a moment of grace to construct the world- wide Fraternity The Friar Minor enters into forming part of the worldwide Fraternity through profession. Although the Province is the place where his legal incardination into the Order is made concrete and where the majority will live and carry out their mission, the Province can never be understood as an end in itself or as an institution on the margins of the Order. The Canonical Visitation can be a privileged moment for helping the Province to go out of itself and to open up to solidarity with the other Friars and Entities of the Order. I would like, in this context, to underline the following: It is important to present the Projects and needs of the Order to the Province, especially the missionary projects. We Friars have to grow in the sense of belonging to the Order and the Provinces have to grow in solidarity with the Order on all levels: through personnel, economic aid and new ideas for a greater creative fidelity. In this sense The Particular Statutes for the Canonical Visitation point out, among other objectives, the need “to foster awareness of being participants in the life and activity of the entire Order among the Friars” ( SSCV 3 §1). It is also fundamental to present the itinerary of Order during recent years in order to grow in the sense of belonging. There are Entities that run the risk of making a parallel path on the level of formation (on-going and initial) and on the level of options for evangelisation. This would be extremely dangerous for both the Order and the Entities. How are the instructions of the Order in the fields of life, formation and evangelisation put into practice in the Entity visited? The Canonical Visitation is a propitious moment to carry out a serious evaluation in this direction. It is important to keep in mind what The Particular Statutes for the Canonical Visitation affirm in this respect: “Bring it about that each one complies more fully with what is laid down in the documents and laws of the Church and Order” ( SSCV 3 §1). The future of the Order lies in interprovincial collaboration on all levels: formation and studies, ad gentes missions and popular missions, in situations of fracture and in common projects (General Chapter 2003, Conclusions 16). The Canonical Visitation must help the Friars to become conscious of this requirement so that opportune decisions in this direction can be taken during the Chapter. Given that the present and future of the Order is brought into play in formation, the Visitator must pay special attention to it. It is not without reason that The
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Particular Statutes for the Canonical Visitation also point out the need, as an objective of the Visitation, “to promote initial and ongoing formation at the scientific, ministerial and professional levels” ( SSCV 3 §1; cf. 28). Since we have been called to evangelise, the Visitation must be a privileged time to evaluate how the mission of the Order is carried out by the Province (cf. SSCV 27). Besides, it cannot be forgotten that the Order, in this case the government of the Order, needs to know the reality in which the Friars live and the reality of the Entities in order to fulfil its “ministry” of animation. It is very important, therefore, that the Report of the Visitation be realistic and that it should contain, at the same time, proposals for the future. I would like to remind you that, in this context, the Visitator is the “representative of the Minister General and acts in his name” (cf. SSCV 8 §1), he is not the representative of the Minister Provincial before the General Curia. Be consequent in this. The greatest service you can give to the Province visited and to the Order itself is to make a clear Report in which the positive aspects and negative aspects of the life and mission of the Entity visited are pointed out clearly (cf. SSCV 21). In this way, the Letter that the Minister General writes after the Visitation will respond to the needs of the life of the Province and will not be a pious exhortation that leaves everything as it was found. It is not a question of creating “a good impression”. It is a matter of helping the Entity visited to grow and progress and this entails “correcting”, when necessary, and “encouraging” everyone in everything so that they may pass from the good to the better (cf. SSCV 3 §1). The Report can help the Friars of the Province to grow in fidelity.
Conclusion. Dear Brother Visitators, I wish to conclude this intervention by thanking you for having accepted this service that is, undoubtedly, delicate and very important. The Minister General and his Definitory, on appointing you to this office, have placed great confidence in you. The Friars of the Entities that you will visit also expect a lot from your service. I am convinced that you will not dash these expectations. Please greet all the Friars you meet on behalf of the Minister and Definitors. You may rely on my prayers that ask the Lord to enlighten you and give you the gift of wisdom in order to fulfil your service. “May the Lord bless you and protect you...”
Cardinal Urges Religious to Get Blogging Real Christian Message ROME, Benedict XVI's vicar for the Diocese of Rome expressed his hopes that religious men and women increase their use of information technology, and thus take advantage of what he called a new form of apostolate. Cardianl Camillo Ruini spoke to the religious at the Pontifical Urbanian University during the diocesan gathering of the Union of Major Superiors of Italy, which represents 1,287 communities and 22,000 religious in Rome. According to the Roman diocesan weekly RomaSette, Cardinal Ruini said: "A priest from Novara told me that the theme of 'Jesus' is very much discussed by youth in blogs. The focus, though, comes from destructive books that are widespread today, and not from Benedict XVI’s book ‘Jesus of Nazareth.' "What will the idea of Christ be in 10 years if these ideas triumph?" The 76 year old prelate admitted, "I don’t understand the Internet, but especially young religious ought to enter blogs and correct the opinions of the youth, showing them the true Jesus.” “The teaching emergency is central in Benedict XVI's concerns," the cardinal said. "For him, education in the faith coincides with service to society, because to form someone in the faith means to form the human person. "Simply giving motivations for living defeats nihilism and gives value to the human person, a value that is based o−n Christ himself, the fact that God became a man." The cardinal asserted that an educator’s testimony and content can matter more than pedagogical techniques. L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 13
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Silta mill-Omelija tal-Ministru Āeneral lil Vi Ŝitaturi Āenerali 16.11.07
We Friars Minor of the XXI century are called to be visible and credible signs of the presence and love of God in the midst of our world, as Francis and Clare were. We Friars Minor are called to be disciples and missionaries of Christ, as the Latin American Episcopal Conference at Aparecida reminded us, by being mystics, prophets and deacons, focusing ourselves on Him, placing our hearts on Him, for He alone can keep the freshness and authenticity of our first love constant and lead us to share His mission completely. During this third stage of our progress towards the VIII Centenary of the foundation of our Order, we are called on to celebrate the gift of our vocation. This, among other things, implies banking on a strong spirituality based on an intense life of prayer as a pedagogy of sanctity within our life and in its radiation in favour of the people of God. Do not be afraid to propose to the Friars you meet during the Canonical Visitation the highest ideal of the Christian and franciscan life: sanctity. It is the best way to celebrate the gift of our vocation, just as the Project ‘The Grace of our Origins’ invites us. It is the only way to follow Jesus Christ more closely, just as we promised on the day of our profession.
• Go, then, my dear Brother Visitators, greet all the Friars with the greeting of peace which the Lord revealed to Francis (cf. Test 23) on behalf of the Minister and Definitory General. • Go, and always show the merciful face of the Father to the Friars entrusted to you. If they have sinned and ask pardon, give it to them, and if they do not ask for it, offer it to them, as St. Franciscan wished (cf. LtMin 9-12). • Go, and invite all the Friars, after the example of the Samaritan woman (Jn 4, 4ff) and of the disciples of Emmaus (cf. Lk 24, 13ss), to grow as they journey through a daily encounter with the Word, through a progressive deepening of their faith. Invite them to satisfy their thirst for fullness in order to be apostles of Him who is the fountain of living water (cf. The Lord speaks with us on the Road = LSR 17). • Go, and untiringly invite the Friars to return to the Gospel so that their lives may recover the poetry, the beauty and the enchantment of our origins (cf. LSR 14) and, in this way, they may celebrate, through word and life, the gift of their vocation. • Go, and, at the opportune and inopportune time, motivate the Friars to build contemplative fraternities of minors on mission; fraternities where the joys and the sorrows of our life are shared; fraternities where the Lord occupies first place in the heart and life of each Friar; fraternities seriously committed to evangelisation and the cause of humanity. • Go, dear Brothers, and may the intercession of Mary Immaculate, Queen of our Order, of our father St. Francis and the blessing of the Lord accompany you. Go, fear not, The Lord is with you (cf. Is 41, 10).
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Communication from the General Definitory November 2007
The “Tempo forte” (T.F) of shared their various visits, Great Britain, for the the month of November was meetings and celebrations Province of Santa Barbara held from the 5th to the with the Friars of the in the USA; Br. Francisco 17th. As in other years, the different Entities since the Frasneda, of the Province of meeting of the General last TF. They then Murcia in Spain, for the Visitators with the evaluated the events in P.U.A; Br. Marie Sevrin of Government of the Order, which they had the Province of the Three held from the 12th to the participated, in full or in Companions (France/ 16th, was inserted into the part, as the Definitory: A Belgium), Assistant- “tempo forte”. 17 Visitators Seminar on Christian- Visitator for the P.U.A; Br. were present. All the Islamic dialogue (Rome, Carlos Folgado López, of the members of the Definitory Curia OFM); European Missionary Province of St. took part in the Academic Congress of JPIC Anthony in Bolivia, for the Act in honour of Bl. John (Frankfurt); UFME Province of St. Michael in Duns Scotus at the P.U.A. (Sarajevo); Congress of Argentina; Br. Guillermo in the morning of the 8th of Educators (Cordoba). Rodríguez Rico, of the November. Some Province of the Holy Gospel representatives of the 2. Reports: in Mexico, Assistant- Definitory participated in Visitator for the Province of the 60th Anniversary of the The reports sent by the Santa Fe in Colombia. P.A.M.I. General Visitators, who had In addition to the usual finished their service, were 4. Meetings: topics dealt with, the studied and evaluated. following specific matters They concerned the The programmes of were examined profoundly following Entities: meetings with the newly during this T.F.: Fraternity of “Notre Dame elected Ministers and - Proposal for a Chapter of des Nations” in Brussels; Custodes of Autonomous Mats of Franciscan Friars Australia (Province of the Custodies (14th to 22nd (Assisi, 16th to 19th April Holy Spirit), Singapore- January 2008) and with the 2009), up to now the only Malaysia (Dep. Custody of Presidents of the common initiative of the St. Anthony), New Zealand Conferences (12th to 14th Franciscan Family for the (Foundation of St. Andrew); May 2008) were prepared, year of the VIII Centenary; Brazil (Province of St. presented and confirmed. - Restructuring of the Francis). The Definitory recalled - as Province of St. Thomas in was established during a India; 3. Appointment of meeting with the Guardians - Restructuring of the Visitators: of the Houses dependent on Province of St. Benedict in the Minister General - that the Congo; Visitators were appointed there is a meeting of the - China Project; for the following Entities: above mentioned Houses in - Sudan Project; Br. Iniazio Dellazeri, of the Rome for community - Franciscans International Province of St. Francis in prayer, scheduled for St. Brazil, for the Autonomous Isidore’s College on the 1. Sharing: Custody of The Seven Joys 10th May 2008 (the Vigil of of Mary in Brazil; Br. Peter Pentecost). In accordance with practice, Williams, of the Province of the Friars of the Definitory 5. General Chapter: L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 15
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Assisi, 23rd May to 10. Various: 21st June 2009: In accordance with normal practice, the Definitory met a) The new agreement The Definitory chose and the Director of the between the Apostolic appointed Br. Francesco Development Office (Fund Vicariates of Tripoli and Patton, of the Province of Raising) on this occasion Benghazi in Libya and the St. Vigil, Trent, Italy, as the and were informed about Order of Friars Minor were Secretary for the next the developments in the signed by the Bishops of General Chapter of the work and about future Libya, Msgr. Giovanni Order. prospects. Br. Moises Martinelli (of Tripoli) and Gutierres Rivas presented Msgr. Silvestro Magro 6. Personnel: different initiative which he (Benghazi), and on behalf of wishes to carry out with the the Order, by the Minister approval of the Order’s The need to make changes General and the Minister Government, to the in the personnel was seen Provincial of Malta, Br. Definitory. following the Visitation Paul, whose Province legally made to the Houses takes care of the Friars who dependent on the Minister 8. Finances: work in Libya. 18 different requests for General. In the perspective b) The Administrative finances from various of the move from Council of the Jubilee Entities of the Order were Grottaferrata to St. Fund, composed of three examined. Isidore’s, the Definitory Ministers Provincial, has The Definitory also looked took new proposals for the been chosen and appointed; at the budgets for 2008 organisation of the they are: Br. Michael Coops prepared by the Bursar fraternity into (Prov. of the Immaculate General. Decisions on them consideration. The period of Conception of the BMV - will be made during the office in the fraternity of the England), Br. Pedro Ruano next session, in December. Penitentiaries of St. John Santateresa (Prov. of St. Latern having been Gregory the Great - Spain), completed, the Guardian 9. Administrative and Br. John O’Connor (Br. Antonio Giacomello), matters: (Prov. of the Most Holy the Vicar (Br. Gerardo Name of Jesus - USA) Zapanta) and the Bursar More than 80 matters c) The next, and final (Fr. Germano Corró) were concerning the issue of “tempo forte” of this year. is confirmed for a second decrees, ratifications, scheduled for 17th to 21st three-year period. dispensations, December . clarifications, etc., were 7. Meetings with the examined. Br. Ernest Karol Siekierka Vice-Secretary General Offices:
The year 2007: Let us dare to live the Gospel!
What we have lacked (and lack), perhaps, was the courage to live the PRESENT with coherence...; to live and express in eloquent and significant ways, the fresh news of our charism in our days. And we have we projected ourselves even less towards the FUTURE...! Despite that, the Church has reminded us strongly: “You not only have a glorious history to remember and to speak about, but a great history to build” (VC110). One of the more serious crises that the religious life risks today is that of staying completely outside history because it does not erect bridges of constructive dialogue with our brothers and sisters of our times or intuit their deep demands. A typical example of backwardness, that is evident now more than ever, is that of fraternal relationships. We well know that the fraternity is a constitutional value (not optional) of our charism. We are tired of the Church and the Order telling us so. Real, honest and fraternal relationships are an absolute challenge to the world in which we live.
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êIRKULARI MILIED 2007 Nit ħejjew g ħas-Sena 2008
Prot. 0711\102
G[e]ie] {uti f’San Fran;isk,
Il-Mulej jag[tikom is-sliem!
G[addiet sena o[ra, u propju f’dawn il-;ranet bdejna ng[ixu mill-;did l-Avvent Mqad- des, ]mien li jwassalna g[all-festi tal-Milied u s-Sena l-:dida 2008. Is-sena 2008, se tkun sena mhux tas-soltu, g[ax matula se ng[ixu l-esperjenzi ta’ Vi Ŝta Kanonika minn Vi Ŝitatur :enerali, Kungress Nazzjonali tal-{ajja Kkonsagrata u Kapitlu Provin/jali. G[alhekk l-Avvent u l-Festi tal-Milied ta’ din is-sena, g[andhom ikunu t[ejjija xierqa g[al dawn il-mumenti ta’ responsabilta’ li ser ng[ixu flimkien matul is-sena 2008. Kemm il-Vi Ŝta Kanonika, il-Kungress Nazzjonali u l-Kapitlu Provin/jali, jitolbu minna rieda tajba, disponibilta’ u tama s[i[a fir-rieda t’Alla. Quddiem ir-rieda ta’ Alla, ilkoll kemm a[na rridu nkunu umli bi]]ejjed li n[ossu l-[tie;a li dejjem hemm x’intejbu fl- im;ieba tag[na b[ala a[wa fran;iskani. L-Avvent ifakkarna fis-sabar li kellu jg[addi minnu l-poplu Lhudi waqt li jistenna il- mi;ja tal-Messija. Ilkoll nafu li [afna drabi l-poplu Lhudi kien jitlef sabru u jitlef kull tama fil-weg[da tal-Messija. Imma min baqa’ jittama u jemmen, meta wasal il-waqt, Alla wettaq il-weg[diet tieg[u. Hekk ukoll a[na, dejjem nittamaw f’[ajja a[jar b[ala a[wa fran;iskani. Imsieken a[na meta naqtg[u qalbna u nintelqg[u fi bruda s[i[a lejn dak kollu li g[andu x’jaqsam mal- [ajja tag[na b[ala reli;ju]i. La Alla sej[ilna biex nimxu warajh fuq l-e]empju ta’ Fran;isku t’Assisi, ]gur li qatt ma jonqos jag[tina dak kollu li ne[tie;u. Il-lejl imqaddes tal-Milied ifakkarna fl-umilta’ kbira ta’ Alla, meta g[o;bu jsir tarbija b[alna u jitwieled f’g[ar tal-bhejjem g[as-salvazzjoni tag[na. ”Imwieled fqir u mqieg[ed f’maxtura” S. Klara. Dan Alla li jista’ kollox, il-bidu u t-tmiem ta’ kollox, g[all-im[abba lejna l-bnedmin dg[ajfa, ma stmerrx jie[u s-sura tag[na l-bnedmin. Hekk ukoll je[tie; li nkunu lesti numiljaw ru[na kontinwament jekk irridu ng[ixu ta’ veri a[wa fran;iskani. Sidna :esu’ Kristu, biex resaq lejna b[ala Feddej, /ekken lilu nnifsu, sar tarbija u ma qg[adx ifittex dak li hu daqs Alla. G[alhekk quddiem ix-xbihat ta’ :esu’ tarbija fil-presepji tag[na, nitolbu l-grazzja ta’ l-umilta’ g[ax b’hekk biss nistg[u nersqu dejjem aktar lejn xulxin u ng[ixu ta’ veru a[wa. Awguri u jalla l-veru spirtu ta’ :esu’ Bambin jibqa’ mag[na tul is-snin ta’ [ajjitna kollha.
Ma[ru;a mill-Kurja Provin/jalizja Il-Belt Valletta Illum, 1 ta’ Di/embru 2007
Fra Paul Galea, OFM Fra Marcellino Micallef, OFM Ministru Provin/jal Segretarju tal-Provin/ja - The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little "extra". - The heart is happiest when it beats for others. - Some people complain that there are thorns on roses, while others praise thorns for having roses among them . L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 17
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L-Avvent Anton Farrugia, OFM
Bħalma l-festi ta’ l-Għid jibda’ jissemma minn nofs mitluba mill-Kon ëilju āew esti Ŝi bi Ŝmien li jtul 50 is-seklu VI l-quddiem kif Vatikan II, fasslet i Ŝ-Ŝmien jum ( Għid il-Ħamsin ) u bi jixhdu l-appendi ëi tas- ta’ l-Avvent fuq firxa ta’ 4 Ŝmien tar-Randan, 40 Sagramentarju Āelasjan kif āimg ħat li nistg ħu āurnata ta’ preparazzjoni ukoll dak Gregorjan u aktar naqsmuhom f’ Ŝew ā partijiet. għalihom; hekk ukoll il-festi tard il-Veronense fejn fihom L-ewwel parti, sas-16 ta’ tal-Milied huma esti Ŝi insibu talb in Adventu Di ëembru, tenfasizza t-tieni f’ ëiklu ta’ Ŝmien li jag ħlaq Domini li jestendi minn 4 sa mi āja tal-Mulej fil-glorja bil-festa tal-Mag ħmudija 6 āimg ħat qabel il-Milied. f’kontinwità ma’ l-aħħ ar tal-Mulej u b’erba’ āimg ħat Minn dawn is-6 āimg ħat ta’ Ħadd tas-sena litur āika li ta’ preparazzjoni: Ŝ-Ŝmien preparazzjoni li g ħandna ti ëë elebra s-solennità ta’ ta’ l-Avvent. nsibuhom fil-litur āija Kristu Sultan. Hawnhekk Il-kelma Avvent Ambro Ŝjana ta’ Milan, illum ta’ min jg ħid li kemm fil- għandha ori āni pagana baqa’ biss 4. mu Ŝajk ta’ l-abside tal- asso ëjata mal-fehma li l- Nistg ħu ng ħidu li fil- knejjes ta’ Ruma kif ukoll allat, ta’ kull sena, kienu litur āija tal-Lvant ma f’dawk ta’ Ravenna, jŜuru lid-devoti tag ħhom. je Ŝistiex. Insibu minflok eŜattament fuq is-sedja ta ë- Insibuha wkoll fil-protokol Ŝmien iqsar ta’ ëelebrant, insibu dik li tal-Qorti Imperjali preparazzjoni g ħall-Milied, tissejja ħ l-Etimasia ji āifieri b’referenza kemm g ħall-jum bħal meta fir-Rit Bi Ŝantin, s-sedja vojta tal- li fih persuna kienet fil-Ħadd ta’ qabel il-Milied Pantocrator: biex tfakkar lil tassumi s-setg ħa ta’ issir it-tifkira tan-nies insara fi Kristu li g ħandu mperatur, kif ukoll g ħall- qaddisa, ibda minn Adam jer āa ji āi fil-glorja biex jum meta dan stess kien sa ĀuŜeppi r-ra āel ta’ jag ħmel ħaqq mill-ħajjin u jag ħŜ el li jag ħmel Ŝjara Marija, li g ħixu skond il- mill-mejtin. It-tieni parti ta’ uffi ëjali xi mkien. Barra qalb ta’ Alla. Fir-Rit l-Avvent, mis-17 sal-24 ta’ minn hekk ta’ min ifakkar li Sirijaku, nsibu ħames Di ëembru, tenfasi ŜŜ a l-Imperatur kien jassumi āimg ħat imsej ħa tat-tħabbir pjuttost l-ewwel mi āja tal- titli asso ëjati ma’ l-allat. Fil- tal-Feddej, iddedikati lil Mulej kif jindika tajjeb it- fatt l-Imperatur Kostantinu śakkarija, lil Eli Ŝabetta fi Ŝ- tieni prefazju ta’ l-Avvent. kien ħare ā muniti li jfakkru Ŝjara li g ħamlitilha Marija L-ewwel qari tal- jum il-ħatra tieg ħu bil- lil Āwanni l-Battista fi Quddies tal-Ħdud ta’ l- kliem: Adventus Divi twelidu, lill-Madonna u lil Avvent jirreferi g ħall- Augusti minquxa fuqhom. San ĀuŜepp. Profeziji Messjanici, IŜ-Ŝmien ta’ l-Avvent IŜ-Ŝmien ta’ l-Avvent spe ëjalment dawk ta’ I Ŝaija issawwar fil-Knisja bil-mod għandu karatteristika imma anke ta’ Āeremija, il-mod, bejn ir-IV u s-VI doppja. Mhux biss huwa Baruk u Sofonija. Fit-tieni seklu. Lejn tmiem ir-IV Ŝmien ta’ t ħejjija g ħall- seklu u fis-seklu ta’ wara Milied li fih infakkru l- fil-Gallja (Franza) u fi ewwel mi āja tal-Mulej fil- Spanja, l-Insara dehrilhom milja ta Ŝ-Ŝmien, imma din li kien me ħtie ā Ŝmien ta’ it-tifkira tg ħina ng ħixu l- tliet āimg ħat qabel il-festi istennija tat-tieni mi āja tal-Milied sabiex dawk li tieg ħU fil-glorja fl-aħħ ar jkunu ser jir ëievu l- ta Ŝ-Ŝmien. Dan hu mfisser Mag ħmudija fl-Epifanija tajjeb ħafna fit-testi jkollhom ukoll t ħejjija litur āiëi ta’ l-Avvent fejn xierqa b ħal fi Ŝmien ir- jispikkaw il-Profeta I Ŝaija u Randan. San Āwann il-Battista. F’Ruma, l-Avvent Ir-riforma litur āika
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qari, l-Ittri ta’ San Pawl, Missirijiet Qaddisa tal- San Pietru, San Āakbu u Knisja. lill-Lhud jag ħmlu referenza L-Avvent huwa kemm g ħall-ewwel kif ukoll x-xahar tal-Madonna għat-tieni mi āja ta’ Kristu. per e ëë elenza. Il- L-Evan āelju ta’ l-ewwel Kolletti tal-Quddies Ħadd jirreferi g ħall-aħħ ar tas-17, 19, 20 u 23 ta’ Ŝminijiet, dak tat-tieni u Di ëembru huma testi tat-tielet Ħadd g ħall- marjani li juru l-ko- Āwanni l-Battista, r-raba’ operazzjoni unika ta’ Ħadd g ħat-tħabbira tal- Marija fil-misteru tal- Mulej lil ĀuŜeppi (Sena A) u Fidwa tag ħna. Tajjeb li lil Marija (Sena B) filwaqt li aktar milli fix-xhur l- fis-Sena ê li Ŝ-Ŝjara tal- oħra tas-sena, nfakkru Madonna lil Santa lil Marija f’dan i Ŝ- Eli Ŝabetta. Din l-istess Ŝmien imqaddes ta’ l- struttura tematika, nsibuha Avvent b’xi att ta’ qima wkoll fil-Litur āija tas- li jista’ jsir quddiem ix- Sig ħat, kemm fis-siltiet xbieha tag ħha kemm me ħuda mill-Kotba fir-IV Ħadd kif ukoll fit-8 ta’ Di ëembru, solennità tat- mqaddsa kif ukoll dawk tal- tnissil tag ħha bla tebg ħa. Francis and Jesus at Christmas Norbert Ellul-Vincenti, OFM
As Advent arrives, can country, first of all, who tortured prisoners, the Christmas be far behind? suffer from various cause imprisoned protesters, the We may be put off by and from no causes, from "vanished" ones, the the heavy preparations all illness and weakness, from homeless, the refugees, the around us, by our forced broken families and ignorant and simple who do enrollment into the sea of vanished elder members, not yet know what's hit merriment and spending from ill-luck and badly them and never will. that traditional spates of planned operations and The Babe in the Crib consumerism have brought botched plans. smiles for them as well, and about without asking for Solidarity is a word raises his hand in blessing, our consent. But when we may not be able to write expecting the rest of us to Christmas comes, we are correctly, but human make a change for the caught up in a general beings have always better possible in a cruel desire to be good to recognised human tears world. It is a call to those of everyone else, to forget old and screams of pain as us who have been placed in scores and to share our joy colourless, creedless and a position where we can with the unfortunate. indistinguishable wherever help. It is up to us to It is not a bad thing, they may arise. change circumstances in once a year, to have this An therefore we such a way that the weak strong injection of social think of the thousands, and suffering may be responsibility and human perhaps millions who suffer relieved. brotherhood (sisters unjustly throughout Europe For our Maltese certainly included there). and the whole world, society, polarised as it is, It is a time when we unemancipated women, the and as it has been for the think of those in our own neglected children, the last thirty or forty years, a
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measure of reconciliation Christianity, and understanding would and for seem to be required so that discovering our society may be better ways of bolstered by principles of making it tell justice and that everyone in our lives. may receive a fair deal. For Perhaps a firmer Franciscans it warning should go out to is an even criminals and those who more enter private homes to meaningful burgle or who beat up the time because infirm and elderly. A society it brings to that believes in itself cannot mind all the allow such things to Father happen without doing its Francis utmost to punish culprits stands and and dissuade others from his particular trying the same game. celebration of More love, more fun, less Jesus at pain and less cruelty. More Greccio as the smiles and fewer scowls all culmination of round. a lifetime of For those of us with following in a solid Christian basis for Jesus' their Xmas celebrations, footsteps. this is a time for an May Christmas bring us closer to Francis examination of our enlighten our minds and and Jesus.
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EIGHTH CENTENARY OF THE BIRTH OF SAINT ELIZABETH PRINCESS OF HUNGARY, LANGRAVIA OF THURINGIA, FRANCISCAN PENITENT St. Elizabeth: her meeting friars and spiritual guidance Ivan Mati ć, OFM
INTRODUCTION The celebration of the VIII Centenary of the birth of St. Eliza- beth offers us the possibility of re- flecting on some important points of her life and spiritual experience, which could also enlighten our spiritual journey. In this number of Koinonia we pause over her meeting with the Fri- ars Minor. The other point for reflec- tion will be that of her spiritual guidance or spiritual direction, which strongly marked the life of St. Elizabeth in her spiritual growth towards sanctity. The meeting of St. Elizabeth with the Friars Minor helps us to review the relations which today, after eight centuries of the history of the Franciscan family, are defined in a very clear way in our various documents and which show a long and real experience of communion of life between the Secular Francis- cans and religious. The most beauti- ful expression which speaks of our communion and of our common mission is found in the Rule of the SFO, where one can read: need for and the importance that spiritual “In various ways and forms but in guidance or direction has in the faith jour- life-giving union with each other, they in- ney of each Christian. It must be stressed, tend to make present the charism of their however, that the role of the spiritual As- common Seraphic Father in the life and sistant should not be confused with that mission of the Church”. of a spiritual Director: it is a matter of two The second point we will reflect on very different roles. regards the spiritual guidance of St. Eliza- beth. This reflection is born of the need to understand what importance spiritual THE MEETING WITH THE FRIARS guidance had in her life and the reason The Friars Minor arrived in Germany why this spiritual guidance, entrusted at for the second time in 1221 as their first first to a Friar Minor, Br. Ruggero, should mission failed in 1219. They were 25 Fri- have been passed to her master Conrad of ars who undertook the mission once again Marburg. under the guidance of Br. Cesario da St. Elizabeth accepted spiritual guid- Spira, a German Friar. Their presence ance with humility and in obedience. She quickly spread and already in 1225 they thus leaves us a powerful example of the had 18 different foundations. These foun- L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 21
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dations were very simple and situated, tent as an exterior sign. usually, beside small churches which • Her four maid servants, inter- served as centres of preaching and pres- rogated during the process of ence among the people for the Friars. And canonisation, also assumed so, in 1225, the Friars also reached Eisen- the grey habit. This “vile tu- ach, the capital of Thuringia. nic”, in which Elizabeth At that time, St. Elizabeth was mar- wished to be buried, signified ried and lived with her family in the castle that religious profession had of Warburg in the city of Eisenach. She conferred a new identity on was 18 years old. She was fascinated by her. the ideals preached by these simple and • She placed the hospital of poor Friars and, as a sign of gratitude, Marburg (1229) under the pro- and admiriation, she received them and tection of St. Francis, canon- gave them a small chapel. ised a few months previously. The preaching of the Friars Minor to • The anonymous author of the people, after the example of Francis of Zwettl (1236) affirmed that Assisi, consisted of the exhortation to live “she donned the grey habit of a life of penance, that is, to abandon the the Friars Minor”. mundane life, to practise prayer and mor- tification, and to take part in the works of These testimonies are corroborated by mercy. Francis himself described this style other sources which illustrate the peniten- of life in his Letter to all the Faithful . tial life of Elizabeth, such as the Rules and other franciscan documents; the Memori- Elizabeth chose one of them, Br. Ruggero, ale Propositi or ancient Rule of penitents; as her spiritual guide in the same year. the analogies and conformities between Giordano of Giano, in his chronicle of the Elizabeth and Francis. foundation of 1262, there entered the Or- Elizabeth knew St. Francis through der the accounts of the Friars and so we can “A lay Brother, Ruggero, who later see that the main spiritual journey for her, became the master of the spiritual life of as it was for Francis, was that of a con- St. Elizabeth, taught her guard her chas- tinuous evangelical conversion and the tity, humility and patience, to make prayer merciful service of the poor and weakest vigils and to dedicate herself assiduously people. to works of charity” ( FF 2352). Her care for the poor and sick, espe- The testimonies about the friendship cially the lepers, seeing the Lord Jesus which characterised the relations of Eliza- christ Himself in them, are attitudes beth with the Friars Minor and about fran- which she learned from franciscan spiritu- ciscan living are very evident and undeni- ality and which led her to live her life of able in the early sources. We will point out nobility, of a woman, spouse, mother and just a few references: widow, with the gospel intensity of one • It happened that Elizabeth do- who was fully in the world, but not of it. It nated a chapel at Eisenach to is for that reason that she continues to the franciscan Friars. inspire men and women through her ex- • She spun the wool for the hab- ample of prayer, continuous conversion, its of the Friars Minor. humility and poverty: key virtues of the • When she was expelled from penitential life. her castle, she, alone and abandoned, had the Francis- SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE cans sing the Te Deum as a Reflecting on the spiritual guidance thanksgiving to God. of St. Elizabeth, a question comes sponta- • On Good Friday, 24th March neously to mind: why did the spiritual di- 1228, having placed her hands rection pass from Br. Ruggero to a new on the stripped altar in the spiritual director and confessor, that is, to franciscan chapel, she made Conrad of Marburg? her public profession. She This change of spiritual director can donned a grey habit of a peni- be explained by the words we find in both L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 22
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the Unapproved Rule (1221) and the Ap- We find the following affirmation proved Rule (1223) of the Friars Minor. about the service and dedication of Eliza- In Chapter XII of the Unapproved beth to the poor and sick in the letter: Rule we find: “Wherever they may be or “She had the custom of visiting per- may go, let all the brothers avoid evil sonally all the sick twice a day, in the glances and associations with women. No morning and in the evening, She took di- one may counsel them, travel alone with rect care of the most repugnant. She fed them or eat out of the same dish with some, procured a bed for others, carried them. When giving penance or some spiri- some on her shoulders and was lavish in tual advice, let priests speak with them in many other services for the good”. a becoming way. Absolutely no woman We find this affirmation of Conrad may be received to obedience by any about her character and desire to live ac- brother, but after spiritual advice has cording to the franciscan charism: “To be- been given to her, let her do penance gin, however, a project blosomed in her wherever she wants”. soul: she asked me, with many btears, to In the Approved Rule, Chapter XI , we allow her to beg for alms from door to can read: door. I having firmly prohibited it, Eliza- “I strictly command all the brothers beth replied: ‘I will do it, because you can- not to have any suspicious dealings or not prohibit me!’”. conversations with women, and they may After the death of her husband Louis not enter the monasteries of nuns, except- in the chapel at Eisenach in the presence ing those brothers to whom special per- of the Friars Minor on Good Friday 1228, mission has been granted by the Apostolic Elizabeth made a promise to observe the See; and they may not be godfathers to evangelical councils. Conrad also wrote men or women, so that scandal may not about this very important fact in the life of arise among the brothers or concerning St. Elizabeth: them on account of this”. “One Good Friday, when the altars These quotations help us to under- were stripped, Elizabeth placed her hands stand why the spiritual guidance of St. on the altar in the chapel of her city, Elizabeth passed from the Friars to Con- where she had received the Friars Minor, rad of Marburg. But who was this Conrad and, in the presence of some Friars, family of Marburg? The Anonimous Franciscan members and children, she renounced her says that he was a secular priest. He was own will and all the vanities of the world, a teacher, preacher of the crusades and a as well as all that the Saviour in the Gos- counsellor to king Louis IV. He was a col- pel advised us to abandon”. laborator, counsellor, confessor and spiri- In the biographical sources we find tual director of St. Elizabeth. Under his that St. Elizabeth made two distinct pro- spiritual direction she established herself fessions in two different ways which were in Marburg. Conrad also exercised his au- used at that time. In the first, when her thority of visitator with prohibitions and husband was still alive, Elizabeth placed punishments and this can only be ex- her hands in those of her spiritual direc- plained if the first profession of Elizabeth tor, Conrad, who received her profession, and the perspective of the Rule of penance and than, in the second, after the death of that existed at that time are taken into ac- her husband, she made a more solemn count. profession of greater commitment in the We can trace what Elizabeth thought chapel of the Friars Minor, placing her of her spiritual director, Conrad of Mar- hands on the altar in the presence of her burg, in some quotations we find in his spiritual director and confessor, of the Fri- letter to Pope Gregory IX, a letter which ars Minor and of other people. bears the date of the 16th November 1232, Speaking of St. Elizabeth’s prayer almost a year after the death of the Saint. life, her confessor Conrad left us a truly The letter was written by command of exemplary testimony: Pope Gregory IX himself, in order to have a “I affirm before God that, though testimony about the life, miracles and dedicated to such works of the active life, spirituality of St. Elizabeth from her spiri- rarely have I seen a woman as contempla- tual director. tive as Elizabeth. Some religious women
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and men noted very often that, when she Martham non exuit” (“She wore the clothes came away from her private prayer, a won- of Mary, without taking off those of Mar- derful light emenated from her face and, tha”). In addition, St. Elizabeth shows us like rays of the sun, radiated from her the demand and the need to have, in our eyes”. journey of faith, a qualified spiritual guide who accompanies us in our own personal FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF ST. journey towards sanctity. ELIZABETH Elizabeth died at the early age of 24 CONCLUSION years on the 17 th November 1231 and was I would like to conclude these reflections canonised on the 27 th May 1235 by Pope with the words of the Presidency of the Gregory IX in the church of St. Dominick CIOFS, which we find in the letter sent to in Perugia. It is interesting to note that all the brothers and sisters of the Secular she was the third person of the Franciscan Franciscan Order on the occasion of the Family to be canonised by this Pontiff. St. VIII Centenary of the birth of St. Eliza- Francis of Assisi was canonised in 1228 beth. In that letter a strong appeal was and St. Anthony of Padua in 1232. made to all the Secular Franciscans to In the Bull of Canonisation, pay particular attention to: “Gloriosus in maiestate” , of 1235, Pope • “St. Elizabeth, as one of the first Gregory IX exalted the following virtues of “spiritual daughters” of St. Francis, who the Saint: love for penance, spiritual pov- produced “ worthy fruits of penance ”. Like erty, hatred of sin, dedication to the works her, we must heed the admonition of St. of mercy, love for justice and peace, and Francis to become men and women of patience in the face of suffering and of the mercy, living the charism of poverty , hu- trials of life. In addition, the Pontiff stated mility , contemplation and, above all, of in the same Bull: ongoing conversion . Elizabeth was able “O happy woman! O admirable ma- to incorporate all of these virtues into her tron! O sweet Elizabeth, called ‘the satia- life, virtues that continue to distinguish tion of God’, who was found worthy of the the brothers and sisters of penance to this bread of angels through feeding the poor! day”. O illustrious widow, fertile stock of virtue, • “St. Elizabeth, as a concrete and who, making every effort to acquire exemplary model of the apostolic through grace what could not be obtained mission to which we are all called. by means of nature, defeated the cruel Her complete giving of self to her enemies of the soul with the shield of marriage and family life, to the tem- faith, with the armour of justice, with the poral tasks associated with govern- sword of the spirit, with the helmet of sal- ing her country, and to the poor, the vation and with the pole of perseverance”. sick (especially, lepers) and the mar- The celebration of the VIII Centenary ginalized of her time, is an example of the birth of St. Elizabeth is a propitious for all of us and a reminder to feel occasion for deepening our awareness of constantly challenged by the spirit our common franciscan charism and of of St. Francis who calls us to be in our spirituality. On the basis of this the world without belonging to it”. awareness the main invitation which comes to us from the example of St. Eliza- 1. SFO Rule , 1. beth is, above all, that of placing Jesus 2. Cf. Letter to the entire Franciscan Christ at the centre of our life and of lov- Family of the CFF , 17th November ing, following and serving Him with all our 2007. heart. 3. Ibidem . Another invitation is that of living in 4. Cf. LINO T EMPERINI , Santa Elisabetta d’Ungheria secondo le fonti storiche , the spirit of continuous evangelical con- Roma 2006, p. 14. version and, in humility and mercy, dedi- 5. Ibidem, pp. 14-15. cating ourselves to the service of the most 6. Ibidem, p. 15. poor and needy. We also, after the exam- 7. Ibidem, p. 16. ple of St. Elizabeth, feel the need to unite 8. Ibidem, p. 79. contemplation and action: “Mariam induit, L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 24
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informazzjoni
ikompli mill-ewwel pa āna Franciscan Province of the lecturer at the Franciscan Congress for Visitators Immaculate Conception for International Study Centre General, organized at the nine consecutive years. He in Canterbury. He is General Curia of the Order is currently Guardian and expected back in Malta for of Friars Minor. parish priest at the the official canonical Austin McCormack postulant house in Chil- visitation, which is to start OFM was Minister worth, Surrey. He has just in the middle of January Provincial for the English retired from his post as 2008.
FESTI TAL-MILIED 2007
Għall-Aħwa kollha tal-Provin ëja Is-Sibt, 22 ta’ Di ëembru 2007 Fil-Kunvent Santa Marija ta’ l-An āli 10.30 am
Għall-Āenituri u Qraba Il-Ħamis, 27 ta’ Di ëembru 2007 F’Porziuncola Retreat House 6.00 pm
L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 25
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Kummissjoni Djocesana Ħajja b’risq id-Dar tal-Kleru. Fl-aħħ ar nispi ëë aw ikkonsagrata f’bibita flimkien.
Nhar is-Sibt, 11 ta’ Novembru, fl- Tlett Ijiem Seminars Provin ëjali 10.00 am, attendejt il-laqg ħa tal- minn Fr. Fabio Attard, SDB Kummissjoni Ħajja Konsagrata li ssir fil- Monasteru ta’ Ħutna l-Klarissi. Din id- Bħala t ħejjija g ħal Kapitlu Provincjali darba ħa sehem ukoll Mons. Ar ëisqof 2008, b ħala Provincjal ħadt sehem fis- Pawlu Cremona O.P. Bdejna b’nofs sieg ħa Seminar li kien imqassam fuq tlett ijiem Adorazzjoni animata minn ħutna l- fid-Dar ta’ l-Irtiri, Porziuncola House, Klarissi. Ba ħar i ë-êag ħaq. Fl-intervent tieg ħu, Mons. Ar ëisqof, Mexxa Fr. Fabio Attard, u nista huwa tkellem mill-importanza tal-Ħajja ng ħid li kulhadd baqa’ sodisfatt mill-mod ikkonsagrata fil-ħajja tad-Djo ëesi. Huwa kif mexxa. Tajjeb ukoll kien il-mument tat- nnifsu ħa l-inizjattiva biex tkellimna dwar talb permezz tal-power point. L- l-Ordo Virginum, lil Dahlia, xebba attendenza kienet tajba ħafna. Il-ħsieb kkonsagrata mill-Gordan u li qeg ħda huwa biex minn dawn il-laqghat tkun impjegata fic-CAK. L-Ar ëisqof wera ix- tista’ titfassal l-aāenda tal-Kapitlu. B ħala xewqa li tkun ħaāa tajba li fid-Djo ëesi post mortem tas-Seminar, Fr. Fabio ser jitwaqqaf dan l-Ordo Virginum li jer āa’ jiltaqa’ mad-Definitorju u l- jikkonsisti f’xebbiet li jikkonsagraw lilhom Kummissjoni T ħejjija Kapitlu, nhar l- infushom lil Alla bla ebda rbit ta’ ħajja Erbg ħa, 12 ta’ Dicembru, Porziuncola religju Ŝa. Retreat House, mill-5.00 p.m. ‘il quddiem. Wara tkellem P. Paul Chetcuti, S.J. li Nirringrazzja lil dawk kollha li b’xi mod bħala President tal-KSMR (Kunsill tal- jew ie ħor taw is-sehem tag ħhom. Provin ëjali) tana ħafna dettalji dwar il- Kungress Nazzjonali tal-Ħajja kkonsagrata, li se jsir bejn Marzu u April tas-sena 2008. B ħas-Sinodu Djo ëesan, id-Dokument finali jrid ikun frott ta’ diskussjonijiet fil-komunitajiet wara tlett sessjonijiet ta’ konferenzi.
Jiltaqghu l-Provin ëjali Fran āiskani
Nhar it-Tnejn, 12 ta’ Novembru, mexxejt il-laqgha ta’ l-Aħwa Provin ëjali Fran āiskani fil-Monasteru tal-Klarissi. Tajna merb ħa lil P. Samuel Chetcuti, OFMConv., b ħala il-Ministru Provin ëjal il-ādid ta’ ħutna l-Konventwali. Tkellimna dwar il-festa tal-qaddisin fran āiskani li se ni ëë elebraw fic-CAK, il-Ħamis, 29 ta’ Novembru, fis-5.45 pm. Mons. Ar ëisqof a ëë etta l-istedina li jing ħaqad mag ħna. Il-lejla se tkun tikkonsisti f’mument ta’ riflessjoni dwar ir-Regula, kelma mill-Ar ëisqof u ti ādid tal-weg ħdiet. B ħala tifkira lill- Mons. Ar ëisqof, idde ëidejna li kull Provin ëja toffri donazzjoni ta’ LM100
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Laqg ħa ta' l-Assistenti Internazzjonali ta' l-Ordni Fran āiskan L-O.F.S. ji ëë elebra Santa Eli Ŝabetta Sekular fil-Knisja tag ħna tar-Rabat.
Mit-3 sat-8 ta' Di ëembru Din is-sena, il-Kunsill Nazzjonali OFS organizza l- 2007, ser ti āi organizzata festa tal-patruna Santa Eli Ŝabetta, nhar il-Āimg ħa, 16 laqg ħa g ħall-erba’ Assis- ta’ Novembru 2007 fil-knisja tag ħna tar-Rabat. tenti Āenerali ta' l-O.F.S.. f’ Ikkon ëelebraw it-tliet Ministri Provin ëjali flimkien Porziuncola Retreat House, ma’ P. Godfrey Zarb, OFM Cap., Direttur Nazzjonali u P. Ba ħar i ë-êag ħaq. Godfrey Micallef, OFM. Mexxa P. Samuel Chetcuti, Għal din il-laqg ħa ser bħala l-Ministru Provin ëjal il-ādid ta’ ħutna l- jie ħdu sehem Samy Iru- Konventwali. Fl-omelija huwa tkellem dwar l-attwalita’ daya O.F.M. Cap. tal-ħajja ta’ Santa Eli Ŝabetta. Wara saret bibita fil- (President); Fr. Ivan Mati ć, kunvent. Ħafna kienu dawk li ammiraw is-sbuhija O.F.M.; Fr. Martín Pablo arkitettonika tal-Kunvent. Bitzer O.F.M. Conv. u Fr. Amando Trujillo Cano, T.O.R. L-għan ta' din il- laqg ħa hu li jippjanaw l- attività tag ħhom g ħas-sena d-die ħla. Huma ser jil- taqg ħu ukoll ma' l- assistenti spiritwali tal- fraternitajiet OFS ta' Malta, li ser issir l-Erbg ħa, 5 ta’ Di ëembru 2007.
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Franciscan Medieval Chronicle Translated into English
Noel Muscat, OFM, is presenting the first ever English translation of The Chronicle of the 24 Ministers General of the Order of Friars Minor. The translation features the first part of this voluminous Chronicle, and is dedicated to the theme of the life of Saint Francis and his early companions. The “Chronica XXIV Generalium Ordinis Fratrum Minorum” is a voluminous history of the Franciscan Order from the time of its foundation by Saint Francis to the Minister General Leonard di Giffoni (1373-1378). The year 1378 marked the beginning of the Great Schism (which lasted till 1417), when two popes were elected, Urban VI in Rome and Clement VII in Avignon. The author of The Chronicle of the 24 Generals of the Order of Friars Minor is today considered to be brother Arnald of Sarrant. The Franciscan scholars of Quaracchi who edited this work in the third volume of “Analecta Franciscana”, say that he came from France and was a member of the Franciscan Province of Aquitaine, since he includes his own name in the list of Ministers of that Province. Arnald of Sarrant is also considered to be the author of the “De Cognatione S. Francisci” (The Kinship of St. Francis), which paved the way for the famous “De Conformitate vitae beati Francisci ad vitam Domini Iesu” (Book of Conformities), published at the very end of the 14th century by Bartholomew of Pisa. In the Book of Conformities, brother Bartholomew of Pisa says that Arnald came from Sarrant, that he was Minister of his province for a long time (circa 1361-1383), and that he collected and wrote whatever information he found regarding Saint Francis. Luke Wadding explicitly indicates Arnald of Sarrant as the author of the Chronicle of the 24 Generals. For a complete text of the translation of this Chronicle, go to the Franciscan Studies section under the sub-heading “Franciscan Texts”, http://www.ofm.org.mt
VI śTA KANONIKA
21 - 22 ta’ Jannar: S. Marija ta’ l-An āli 23 - 24 ta’ Jannar: Porziuncola 25 - 29 ta’ Jannar: Sliema 30 ta’ Jannar - 3 ta’ Frar: Ħamrun 4 - 6 ta’ Frar: G ħawdex 7 - 10 ta’ Frar: Valletta 11 - 14 ta’ Frar: Rabat
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Ittri ta’ apprezzament
Sebastian Camilleri, OFM ir ëieva diversi MGR. SYLVESTER MAGRO, OFM ittri ta’ apprezzament g ħall-kiteb tieg ħu Peace and Good. Aspects of Authentic Church Teaching . Thank you sincerely for sending me your invaluable book Aspects of Authentic SEGRETERIJA TA’ L-ISTAT TAL-VATIKAN Church Teaching which I highly appreciate. The Holy Father has received your Today the People of God need too be letter together with a copy of your book nourished by the “truly authentic teaching and he has aasked me to thank you. He of the Church”. This is not only right, but appreciates your thoughtful gesture. also their aspiration. Your book is a good His Holiness will remember you in signpost in this direction. his prayers and he invokes upon you For decades we have been inundated God’s blessings of joy and peace. by so much “enlightened teaching” which proved to be nothing mo than the personal Mons. Gabriele Caccia idea of the author very often in contrast or Assesor in direct opposition to the Magisterium. Repeatedly the present incumbent of IL-PRIM MINISTRU TA’ MALTA the Chair of Peter, Benedict XVI, insists Qieg ħed nibg ħatlek din in-nota upon the serious duty of those who write qasira biex nirringrazzjak g ħall-ittra li or teach, that they present th authentic bag ħtli fil-21 ta’Mejju 2007 u g ħal kopja Church doctrine. tal-publikazzjoni tieg ħek Aspects of Thank you once more. Authentic Church Teaching. May the Lord grant you his peace. Nie ħu din l-opportunita’ biex nirrin- grazzjak ukoll g ħal ħidma impenjattiva Fraternally yours in St. Francis tieg ħek matul is-snin fost l-emigranti Mgr. Sylvester Magro, OFM, Maltin āewwa l-Awstralja. A ħna lkoll Bihop of Benghazi għandna d-dmir li nirrikonoxxu dan is- sehem kbir li nies ta’ vokazzjoni b ħalhekk ikkontribwew tul is-snin. Inselli g ħalik
Lawrence Gonzi Prim Ministru
FESTA TAL-QADDISIN FRAN ĀISKANI 2007
Flimkien irriflettejna r-Regula permezz ta’ power point , u kant fran;iskan. Mons. Ar/isqof qasam mag ħna dawn ir- riflessjonijiet dwar l- attwalita’ tal-karisma fran;iskana. Qalilna biex “i nkunu xhieda ta’ vera [ajja ta’ a[wa f’dinja ma[kuma minn tant firdiet. Fuq l-e]empji ta’ Fran;isku, nag[mlu lil Kristu /- /entru ta’ [ajjitna. B[al Kristu nippriedkaw fil-qosor l-im[abba t’Alla u l-kruha tad- dnub. Mill-ekolo;ija Fran;iskana naslu g[ar-realta’ ta’ Alla, [allieq tal-[olqien kollu”. B’tifkira lill-Mons. Ar ëisqof, il-Provin/ji u l-Kongregazzjonijiet Fran;iskani flimkien offrejna donazzjoni ta’ LM700 b’risq id-dar tal-Kleru. Wara komplejna nie[du xi [a;a ta’ l-okka Ŝjoni u ng[idu kelma flimkien. Hija [asra li mill-Provin/ja tag[na konna biss tnax pre Ŝenti. Mhux ta min jitlifhom okka ŜŜ jonijiet b[al dawn, fejn nistg[u nisimg[u dejjem kelma ta’ ;id.
Jirraporta l-Ministru Provin/jal, P. Pawl Galea, OFM
L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 29
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NEKROLO ĀJU 11 ta’ Ottubru 2007 PATRI ĀUśEPP BENEDITT XUEREB, 2 ta’ April 2007 mill-Għarg ħur. Ministru Provin ëjal (1985-1990), PATRI NERIK CASSAR, Definitur, Lettur Provin ëjali, Gwardjan tal- mill-Imsida. Wettaq il-ħidma kunventi tal-Belt u tar-Rabat, Kappillan tal- pastorali tieg ħu fil-kunventi Tas- Parro ëë a tas-Sacro Cuor f’Tas-Sliema, Surmast Sliema, Rabat u l-Belt. Kien ta’ l-istudenti. Qeda lill-Ordni b ħala President Mastru, konfessur u qeda tal-Kulle āā Internazzjonali ta’ San Bonaventura fi b’impenn it-tqarbin tal-morda. Grottaferrata, u Segretarju tal-Pontificio Ateneo Ta xhieda ta’ fer ħ ukoll fil- Antonianum. Kien Assistant Nazzjonali ta’ l- mumenti ta’ mard li minnhom Ordni Fran āiskan Sekular. Traduttur ta’ diversi għadda. Miet fid-Dar tal-Kleru, fonti tal-Ħajja ta’ San Fran āisk, Santa Klara u Birkirkara. Età 83 sena, reli āju Ŝ Sant’ Antnin. Miet fid-Dar tal-Kleru, Birkirkara. 68 sena, sa ëerdot 58 sena. Età 72 sena, reli āju Ŝ 55 sena, sa ëerdot 47 sena.
21 ta’ Awissu 2005 ta’ l-Istudenti u mfittex g ħad-direzzjoni spiritwali. PATRI VIN êENS GALEA, Ħadem ħafna fill-Parro ëë a taghna f’tas-Sliema mill-Belt. Wettaq diversi ħidmiet fejn ħa ħsieb ukoll il-bini ta ë-êentru Parrokkjali fil-Provin ëja. Kien Definitur, Sant’Antnin. Miet fl-isptar San Luqa. Età 72 Gwardjan, G ħalliem, Surmast sena, reli āju Ŝ 64 sena, sa ëerdot 56 sena.
Indrizz ādid ta’ John Muscat, OFM: Provincial House, San Pedro Battista, Quezon City, Filippini.
Tifkira Solenni ta’ ħutna li telqu qabilna
Nhar is-Sibt, 24 ta’ Novembru ëë elebrajna flimkien it- tifkira ta’ l-aħwa tal-provin ëja li da ħlu jistrie ħu fis-sliem ta’ dejjem. Diversi patrijiet ħadu sehem fil-quddiesa kon ëelebrata li saret fil-kappella tal-provin ëja li tinsab fi ë-ëimiterju ta’ Marija Addolorata u li tmexxiet mill-Ministru Provin ëjal Paul Galea, OFM. F’kelmtejn li g ħamel, huwa radd il-ħajr ‘l Alla g ħad-don ta’ l- aħwa li g ħexu l-vokazzjoni fran āiskana sa’ l-aħħ ar u li għandhom jibqg ħu dejjem ta’ kura āā g ħalina biex a ħna wkoll ng ħixu bil-fedelta’ kollha, is-sej ħa fran āiskana li a ëë ettajna.
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FRATERNITAS
Eng Vol. XL. Nr. 137 - OFM Rome - Email: [email protected] - 01. 12. 2007
And the Word was made Flesh Let us rejoice and be glad, Brothers. I wish you a Happy Christmas and may the blessing of our Seraphic Father accompany you always. BR. J OSÉ R ODRÍGUEZ C ARBALLO , OFM MINISTER G ENERAL
Blessed John Duns Scotus on the VII Centenary of his death The celebration of the VII Centenary of the death of Blessed John Duns Scotus (1308-2008) was initiated at the PUA (Rome) with a solemn academic act on the 8 th November. The centenary will be commemorated throughout the world with a series of cultural events, thanks to which it will be possible to deepen our knowledge of the figure, sanctity and doctrine of the man. It is hoped that our University may be able to organise, among other initiatives, a “Congress of review” on our Subtle and Marian Doctor or – as John Paul II liked to call him – the Doctor of the Immaculate (Discourse to the Scotus Commission, 16 th Feb. 2002, AOFM 2002). (From the discourse of the Minister General, Great Chancellor of the PUA)
Khartoum (Sudan) – The Fraternity of St. Francis of Assisi The new OFM Fraternity was officially presented to the Diocese of Khartoum by Card. Gabriel Zubeir Wako during the closing Eucharist of the II Diocesan Synod on the 10 th October 2007. The members of the “St. Francis of Assisi” Fraternity – Br. John Lemi and Br. Peter Tindo (Sudan); Br. Leopoldo Mi čić, Croatia; and Br. Melito Pinili, Philippines – had reached the Sudan in the month of July, guests of the Major Seminary of “St. Paul” in Khartoum at first and then, from the 1 st of August, of the Diocesan Centre for Catechesis in Kobar. The beginning of the new Fraternity was marked by two important events: the meeting with the Archbishop of Khartoum and the “Life Project of the Fraternity”. In addition to being very welcoming and generous to the Friars in the Sudan, Card. Wako showed them the priorities of his Diocese and invited them to live and follow them. With the help of the General Definitor, Br. Amaral, the Fraternity, which is described as a Contemplative-Fraternity-in-mission, drew up an essential programme for living as Friars Minor and for acting as such in the new context into which obedience has placed it.
Libya – Visit of the Minister General The two Apostolic Vicariates of Tripoli and Benghazi had a visit from the Minister General, accompanied by the Moderator General for the missions, Br. Vincenzo Brocanelli. It was an event of “historical” importance as the last Minister General to visit Tripoli was Br. Leonardo M. Bello, in 1936, and no Minister General had ever been to Benghazi. The Minister General, during the fist day, visited the Vicariate of Benghazi, which, in February 2006, was attacked and sacked by a group from a movement of violent anti-establishment activity. The Bishop, Msgr. Silvestro Magro, OFM, was able to show the Minister General the restoration, thanks to foreign help, of the Church and House of the Vicariate which was completely burned out. The Minister General met the four Friars who work in the Vicariate and who come from the Provinces of the Philippines, Egypt and Poland, and later in the evening, the community of Sisters who
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work in hospitals. The visit to the Apostolic Vicariate of Tripoli took place the next day. Here the Bishop, Msgr. Giovanni Martinelli, OFM, and his Vicar General, live in the same House as the Friars, who come from the Provinces of the Philippines, Egypt and India. The Minister General met the Friars to listen to them and to know their fraternal and missionary life, and to reflect together with them on their future and then, in the afternoon, there was a meeting with all the ecclesiastical personnel of the Vicariate and with the Sisters who work in Tripoli. The visit concluded with a solemn concelebration which saw an important participation of faithful, among whom were noted the Ambassadors of Spain, Italy and Argentina, groups of Focolarini and many religious. The visit of the Minister General reinforced the links with the two Apostolic Vicariates, which were entrusted to the care of the Order of Friars Minor by the Holy See. At the moment, the Church in Libya is made up exclusively of foreign faithful, present in the country because of work or study, and is animated entirely by Friars Minor in the person of the Bishops and priests who work there.
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary and Thuringia The first year of the VIII Centenary of the birth of the Holy Patroness of the Secular Franciscan Order and Third Order Regular (1207-2007) concluded with a solemn Eucharist presided by Msgr. Domenico Sorrentino, Bishop of Assisi-Nocera Umbria-Gualdo Tadino on the 17 th November. The Franciscan Ministers General concelebrated with him. The National Council and the CIOFS, which had concluded a week of work under the guidance of the Minister General, Encarnaciòn del Pozo, in Assisi in those days, were also present at the celebration. Great work was done during this first year of the VIII Centenary to bring about a recognition of the spirituality of St. Elizabeth. A very interesting exhibition entitled “Elizabeth of Thuringia – a European saint” was prepared in the castle of Wartburg in Thuringia (Germany), where St. Elizabeth lived. A catalogue of 624 pages and a book of 624 pages with the Acts of the presentations by various experts was also prepared. See: www.elisabeth-wartburg.de . A very beautiful and instructive game for knowing the life of the Saint can be found on the following page: http://www.ekkw.de/elisabethjahr/spiel (The game – Spiel - is in German only).
The House of the General Curia is 60 years old On the 29 th of November 1947, after almost 5 and a half years of work, which began on the 31 st May 1942 with the blessing of the foundation stone by the Minister General, Br. Leonardo M. Bello, His Eminence Card. Clemente Micara, Protector of the Order, solemnly inaugurated the new Curia of Via Santa Maria Mediatrice on Gelsomino hill in the presence of the Minister General, Br. Pacifico M. Perantoni, and surrounded by the General Superiors of the Franciscan Family and of other Religious Institutes, by all the Ministers Provincial of Italy, by the Teachers and Students of the Antonianum, by the workforce, artists and other numerous workers who, during the difficult war period, had worked tirelessly to build this imposing structure. The first “Curial” Friars from the Via Merulana transferred to the new quarters of the General Curia on the same day in order to continue their work in the service of the entire Order.
Spain – New Faculty of Fundamental Theology The new Faculty of Fundamental Theology in Murcia, affiliated to the University Antonianum in Rome, was inaugurated on the 23 rd of October. The Minister General gave the inaugural address of the academic year under the title of The Faculty of Fundamental Theology at the service of the Church and society . The Eucharist was presided by the Cardinal Archbishop of Seville, Br. Carlos Amigo Vallejo, and
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concelebrated by Cardinal Br. Claudio Hummes, various Bishops and numerous priests, among them the Ministers Provincial of Spain. Numerous civil and academic personalities of the city also attended. The new Faculty is supported by a Foundation which depends on the Conference of Ministers Provincial in Spain. See: http:// www.itmfranciscano.org/
Rome – Meeting with the Franciscan Religious of the Active Life at Aracoeli A meeting between the feminine Franciscan Religious Institutes linked to the Order of Friars Minor and the Minister General OFM, under the aegis of the General Curia of the Friars Minor, the Roman Province of Sts. Peter and Paul of the Friars Minor and of the ‘Centro Culturale Aracoeli’, in preparation for the Centenary of the foundation of the Order of Friars Minor, was held on the 3 rd of November 2007. A solemn Eucharist presided by the Minister General was celebrated in the Basilica of St. Mary in Aracoeli at 17.00, following a conference given by Prof. Giuseppe Buffon OFM, entitled Feminine Franciscan Congregations in the XIX century: history and challenges . An intervention by Br. Marino Porcelli ofm, Minister Provincial of the Friars Minor of Lazio, which appealed for practical collaboration with all Feminine Franciscan Institutes which had their origins in the Basilica of Aracoeli, brought the meeting, in which 300 Sisters from about 60 different Institutes participated, to a close. At the moment there are 394 feminine Institutes affiliated to our Order with about 110,000 members and 9,500 Houses in 36 countries.
Spain – I Congress of Franciscan Educators The I European Congress of Franciscan Educators, coordinated by Br. Joaquín A. Echeverry, Animator General of Educational Pastoral Activity, by the directors of Spanish Franciscan Colleges and by Br. Antonio Herrera C. of the Betica Province, President of the Organising Committee, was held in Cordoba (Spain) from the 1 st to the 3rd of November. 440 people, between franciscan religious and teachers from our colleges, were present. Representatives of 32 out of the 46 franciscan educational centres in Europe participated. Religious and teachers of other Spanish Franciscan Congregations and some representatives from Latin America also participated. The Minister General, the Cardinal of Seville, Br. Carlos Amigo Vallejo, the Bishop of Cordoba, Don Juan Antonio Asenjo, and a representative of the Municipal Government of Cordoba presided over the opening ceremony. Also present were: the General Definitors Br. Miguel Vallecillo, Br. Luis Cabrera and Br. Jacab Várnai, the Secretary General for Evangelisation, Br. Néstor Schwerz, the President of the Spanish- Portuguese Conference, Br. José María Arregi, the Rector of the University Antonianum (Rome), Br. Johannes B. Freyer and the Provincials of Seville, Granada, Valencia and Murcia. In his inaugural address, the Minister General spoke about “franciscan pedagogy”. The Minister General presided at the Eucharist on the 2 nd of November. The members of the Congress, in addition to reflecting on the challenges which education in a Catholic and franciscan key presents in Europe today, got to know the beautiful city of Cordoba, part of the patrimony of humanity. See: http://congresoeducadoresfranciscanos.org/
Croatia – Fraternal Visitation and National Elective Chapter of the SFO The Minister General of the SFO, Encarnación del Pozo, and the Assistant General to the SFO, Br. Ivan Mati ć, OFM, visited the National Fraternity of the SFO in Croatia, met with the Ministers Provincial, the Auxiliary Bishop of Zagreb, Msgr. Valentin Pozai ć, and the members of the National Assembly of the Croatian You.Fra from 5 th to 8 th October 2007. They also participated in the National Elective Chapter. The National Minister, Mato Batorovi ć, and his Council were elected in the afternoon of the 6 th October. Antica-Nada Ćepuli ć was re-elected as International Councillor. L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 33
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The National Fraternity of the SFO in Croatia is made up of 5 Regional Fraternities, with about 4,200 professed members and 106 local Fraternities. The National Fraternity of You.Fra has 5 Regional Fraternities with about 2,000 members.
First Address-book of Educational Centres of the OFM There are 104 Provinces, 6 Autonomous Custodies, 12 Dependent Custodies, 1 Federation and 20 Foundations, 4 of which depend on the Minister General, in the Order. 65 of these Entities have educational centres in 47 countries. The American Continent is where most of the Centres are found, followed by Europe, then Asia and Africa. The number of Educational Centres in the Order is: 791 between Universities, Faculties, Colleges, Schools and Non-Formal Educational Centres, including the Schools of Christ in Bolivia, the pre-schools in Japan and the various primary schools in some African countries. 7% of all the Friars of the Order work in the field of Educational Evangelisation, which is the third largest area of evangelisation, after parishes and sanctuaries. ( PDF )
Spain – Fraternal Visitation and Assembly of the National Council SFO Benedetto Lino, Counsellor to the Presidency CIOFS and Br. Ivan Mati ć OFM, Assistant General to the SFO, participated in the Assembly of the National Council of the Spanish SFO, held in Madrid from the 25 th to 29 th of October 2007. The Assembly had a period of formation with reflections on the nature and identity of the SFO, on the profession of the Secular Franciscans (Benedetto) and on the active presence of the SFO in the Church and society (Br. Ivan). After a fraternal dialogue there were reports from the Regional Fraternities and from the National Executive Council. While the Assembly continued its work, Benedetto and Br. Ivan made themselves available to some Brothers and Sisters who had shown a desire to speak with them personally. The National Fraternity of Spain has about 4,150 professed members in 243 local and 17 Regional Fraternities.
The Sixtieth Anniversary of the PAMI The sixtieth anniversary of the foundation of the International Pontifical Marian Academy, with its headquarters in the International College of St. Anthony (Rome), was celebrated in the Pontifical University Antonianum on the 10 th November. The PAMI was founded in 1947 and its first President was Br. Karlo Bali ć. Br. Pavao Melada, Br. Gaspar Calvo, and the present President Br. Vincenzo Battaglia, followed him in the presidency. Present were: Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, the Minister General OFM and other authorities, among them, Msgr. Slawomir Order, Postulator for the cause of beatification of the Servant of God John Paul II. A book which the PAMI dedicated to the memory of John Paul II was presented during the academic act. A Eucharist, presided by the Minister General OFM, was concelebrated in the Basilica of St. Anthony after the academic event.
Franciscan Bookmark The Salimbene Chronicle of Adam da Parma , Latin text prepared by Giuseppe Scalia, translation by Berardo Rossi, OFM. MUP Editore, www.mupeditore.it/ ; pp. 1970. For the first time , the integral and complete edition of the Chronicle , with text in Latin and a translation in Italian opposite, is available to all readers. The Salimbene Chronicle of Adam (1221-1288), better known as the Salimbene of Parma, stands out among all the medieval testimonies because of its fascinating mixture of history, in the broadest sense of the word, of reports on the daily quarrels between the towns of the Padana plain, of comment on and defence of the intrigues
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and malicious gossip against the Order of Friars Minor, in which Salimbene had made his vows against the will of his father.
Big/small news * Br. Aleksa Benigar : The centenary of the entrance of the Servant of God Br. Aleksa Benigar (1893-1988) into the Order of Friars Minor was celebrated on 7 th September last. He was received into the Croatian Province of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, in Zagreb, on the 7 th September 1907. In the context of this happy occasion, it was decided to transfer the mortal remains of the Servant of God from the public cemetery of Zagreb, where he was buried on the 7 th November 1988, to the crypt of the church of St. Francis – Kaptol in Zagreb. Having obtained the necessary permissions from the civil and diocesan authorities, as well as that of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the rite of the recognition of the mortal remains of the Servant of God and of the solemn transfer was held on the 28 th September 2007 in the presence of many Friars and numerous devotees of Br. Aleksa. A sculpture representing the Servant of God, by Fr. Bonaventure Duda, was placed at the entrance to the crypt. Many faithful now go to the tomb to pray and confidently request his intercession before the Lord. * Centenary of the birth of the Ven. P. Allegra: It is one hundred years since the birth of the Venerable Servant of God Br. Gabriele M. Allegra, a professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor (the Sicilian Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus), born in San Giovanni la Punta (Catania) on the 26 th December 1907 and died in Hong Kong (China) on the 26 th January 1976. The regular Causa for the beatification and canonisation of this distinguished apostle of the Word and ardent witness to the charity of Christ was begun in 1984 and happily achieved the recognition of the heroic virtue of the Servant of God in 1994 and of a miracle attributed to his intercession in 2002. Let us trust that the mutual relations between the Holy See and China may favour the celebration of the rite of beatification of this man, truly enamoured with China and its noble cultural traditions. * A new source for knowing St. Francis: The study seminar Palaeography, philology and history at the service of Thomas of Celano : the Umbrian Legend, held in the Higher School of Medieval and Franciscan Studies of the Pontifical University Antonianum in Rome on the 26 th October, confirmed the existence of a new source for knowing St. Francis, that is, The Umbrian Legend , thanks especially to the discourses of Attilio Bartoli Langeli, Carlo Paolazzi and Giulia Barone. Note having been taken of the validity of the edition offered by J. D ALARUN , Vers une résolution de la question franciscaine. La Légende ombrienne de Thomas de Celano , Fayard, Paris 2007, which is attributed to Thomas of Celano, and seeing its importance for understanding better the entire hagiographic dossier concerning St. Francis, it is now hoped that it will be accepted into the different translations of the Franciscan Sources (the chronicle of the seminar will be inserted at www.antonianum.eu ) * Gathering of Visitators General in Rome: The annual meeting of the Minister and Definitory General with the Visitators General of the Order was held in the General Curia from the 12 th to the 16 th of November. 16 Visitators participated in the five-day meeting. * The Vatican Post-office issued a stamp to commemorate the VIII Centenary of the Patroness of the SFO and TOR: The Vatican City Post-Office has issued a stamp showing a stain-glassed window of the magnificent Gothic church of St. Elizabeth in Marburg (Germany), built in 1235.
Agenda of the Minister General 01-07 December : Visit to the Province of the Word Incarnate (Togo) and the Province of Our Lady Queen of Peace (South-Africa). 12-15 December : Visit to the Franciscan Federation of Morocco. 17-21 December : Tempo forte of the General Definitory (Rome). L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 35
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FESTI U BIRTHDAYS
DI êEMBRU 10 Fra Lorrie Zerafa 1 Fra Alfred Sciberras 25 Fra Noel Muscat 3 Fra Noel Muscat 26 Fra Stephen Sciberras 4 Fra Marcellino Micallef 26 Fra Stephen Magro 11 Fra :wann Micallef 27 Fra :wann Schranz 17 Fra Charles Tonna 31 Mons. Sylvester Magro 17 Fra Ray Scicluna 19 Fra Godfrey Micallef 29 Fra Pietru Pawl Meilak 31 Fra Sebastian Camilleri
JANNAR
7 Fra Karlu Tonna 7 Fra Kerubin Galea 8 Fra Arturu Azzopardi 8 Fra Adrian J. Cachia 16 Fra Marcello Ghirlando Fra Mark Ciantar 20 Fra Sebastian Camilleri 9 Fra Charles Grech 27 Fra Julian Sammut 15 Fra Kamillu Aquilina 31 Fra Sandro Overend
Awguri u Xewqat Sbie ħ!
F’ DIN IL-{AR:A
Novembru 2007
Kardinal Fran āiskan ādid 2 EDITUR Ittra êirkulari mill-Ministru Āeneral 4 fra marcellino micallef ofm Diskors tal-Ministru Āeneral lill-Vi Ŝitaturi 7 Atti tad-Definitorju Āenerali 15 [email protected] êirkulari tal-Ministru Provin ëjal 17 L-Avvent 18 Kunvent Tal-Fran āiskani Francis and Jesus at Christmas 19 291, Triq San Pawl, Santa Eli Ŝabetta ta’ l-Ungerija 21 Informazzjoni 25 Valletta VLT 07 Fraternitas 31 Tel. 21238218 Fax. 21231266
L-A{BAR DI êEMBRU 2007 36
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